[Re: Stacking up on standard works

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...> wrote:

>
> > AFAIK this is a forum on comparative linguistics, not biology or

UFOs.

> > And "comparative" means there're some reliable means to tell whether

a

> > word A in language X is related to a word B in language Y.
>
> Precisely. Do you know how it is done and when the results can be
> regarded as reliable?
>

Yes, but unfortunately not all the linguists agree on the "reliability
threshold", that is, the point beyond coincidences are spurious and due
to chance. This why for example long-range compartivists appear to be
suspicious to the eyes of IE-ists.