Re: Lat. gladius and Sorothaptic

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <bm.brian@...> wrote:

>
> > That is, I see no problem in reconstructing a consonant X,
> > provided it can be described with enough accuracy.
>
> So because the evidence is insufficient to pin down the
> precise phonetic character of the laryngeals,
>

I beg your pardon? I think there's enough evidence to give an
approximate reconstruction. See for example A. Martinet: Des steppes aux
océans. L'indo-européen et les "Indo-Européens".

> you dismiss the evidence that they existed and that there were

probably

> three or four of them?
>

I do *nothing* of the kind, but I see no point in continuing calling
them "laryngeals" and use an algebraic notation.

> That certainly looks to me like a serious failure to understand IE

linguistics.

>

Actually, I think "IE linguistics" is at fault with regard to modern
scientific standards.