Re[10]: [tied] Re: Convergence in the formation of IE subgroups

At 3:35:37 PM on Saturday, May 13, 2006, Patrick Ryan wrote:

> From: Brian M. Scott


>> At 3:01:33 PM on Saturday, May 13, 2006, Patrick Ryan
>> wrote:

[...]

>>> Perhaps you are not aware, Brian, but I am not the only
>>> amateur or professional historical linguist who
>>> entertains the idea that very early forms of human
>>> language may be reconstructed.

>> I know of no historical linguist who believes any such
>> thing. In particular, I don't consider Ruhlen a linguist,
>> but 'a crackpot and a charlatan' (quoting Larry Trask).

> More ad hominems, second-hand, of course.

No. It would be an argument ad hominem if I said 'Ruhlen's
a crackpot and a charlatan, so you shouldn't believe
anything he says about Proto-World'. In fact, however, the
inference goes the other way: examination of what he says
leads to the conclusion that he's a crackpot, just as
examination of Edo Nyland's fantasies leads to the
conclusion that *he* is a crackpot.

That's it for me, unless you've something on-topic to add.

[...]

Brian