Re: Re[2]: [tied] searching for common words for all today's langua

----- Original Message -----

From: P&G

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 2:21 AM

Subject: Re: Re[2]: [tied] searching for common words for all today's languages

>I have 90 monosyllables at
>Prove that any _one_ (sic!) of these ... is unlikely.

Pardon me butting into your debate.
I do not even need to read the list,

 

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Patrick:

 

Yes, you do need to read the list.

 

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 and the proof is already in front of
you - because of sound changes and changes in meaning, most similarities
today will be due to either coincidence, borrowing, or onomatopoeia, or any
other cause except genetic linkage.  That means the handful of genuine
genetic links left (if there are any) will be swamped by the other material,
and be unrecoverable.

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Patrick:

 

Exactly what Brian wrote. What have you added?

 

It amazes me that some people think that linguistics can be done by generalizations rather than investigation of data.

 

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In any case, it is a platitude that you should be looking not for
look-alikes, but for phonetic patterning.

Peter

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Patrick:

 

Perhaps if you read my material rather than rejecting it a priori, you might find that is what I do.

 

I do not look for "look-alikes"; I attempt to find phonemic correspondences.

 

Until you have read my work, why not spare us your uninformed comments?

 

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