W dniu 2012-04-01 13:22, Tavi pisze:
> This is why we can't accept languages such as Burushaski or Basque as
> part of the IE family, despite the claims of some crackpots. But the
> comparative method isn't restricted to the reconstruction of
> proto-languages but it also is useful to posit long-range relationships.
Establishing systematic correspondences leads to the reconstruction of
protolanguage forms. A successful partial reconstruction based on a
network of segmental and morphological correspondences in the lexicon is
actually what convinces the sceptics and what is generally regarded as
the final test of validity for any serious comparative study. If you
can't achieve that, it simply means that your evidence is too weak to be
taken seriously, and that you are trying to apply the comparative method
beyond its applicability range.
> Unfortunately, morphology is of little help in long-range comparisons,
> apparently because of its higher evolution rate with regard to lexicon.
Bad luck, then. All methods have their limitations. You said you
regarded Vasco-Caucasian as a bona fide family. On what grounds? Show us
at least a good example of a regular correspondence between Basque and,
say, Avar, Ingush, or whatever you prefer, supported by some solid evidence.
Piotr