Re: [tied] Ah, look at all the lonely languages

----- Original Message -----
From: Gerry
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 9:01 PM
Subject: [tied] Is Sumerian an Isolate? was: Re: Attention: John Croft

> 1) are there other language isolates?

Plenty of them. Basque, Burushaski, Ainu, etc.

> 2) has anyone offered any explanations (wild or otherwise) for there
being no "commonality" between an isolate and other language families?

The reason is obvious. Isolates are lonely survivals of their respective
families. There must have been a time when languages closely related to
Sumerian were still spoken. They just happened to die out before being
recorded.

> IOW, could Sumer perhaps have been a "city of the gods" (or even of the
untouchables)?

I don't think I understand this question.

Piotr