Re: PIE's closest relatives

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Alexander Stolbov" <astolbov@...>
wrote:

> Richard Wardingham:
>
> > From a brief look in a dictionary, it looks as though
> > you have a translation problem.
>
> This must not be a surprise. The Illich-Svitych book is written in

Russian.

> The terms for more or less exotic languages have passed the

following way:

> an Afro-Asiatic lang. > an European lang.(Germ., Eng., Fr.) >

Russian >

> English.
>
> Please suggest better translations.

I meant with the English word 'agriculture', as opposed to 'farming'
which also includes the raising of livestock. The 'ram' (sort of)
words you gave seem relatively free from the problems you refer to,
but are not terms relating to 'agriculture' as a subset of general
farming.

I have heard, and can believe, that translating the glosses for
verbs in Siberian languages from Russian to English is a nightmare.
I have enough trouble with the glosses in Pokorny. One problem is
that translation often requires understanding of what is being
discussed.

Richard.