Mycenaean (Standardization)

[Miguel Carrasquer Vidal]

X99Lynx at aol.com wrote:

>In a message dated 3/26/99 1:53:30 AM, mcv at wxs.nl wrote:
><<Kings and tradesmen are usually concerned with the here and now,
>and all they require is a language that is flexible (and thus
>changes).

>Priests and poets are a different matter.  The only (remote)
>possibility for PIE or any other pre-literate language to have
>been preserved more or less unchanged beyond its "natural
>lifespan" is if it was the vehicle of something like the Vedas or
>the Homeric poems.  It cannot be excluded that something like
>that happened to PIE, but it's not a necessary condition...>>

>I think I disagree with that first part.  I think kings and tax collectors
>and army commanders want a very clear idea of what is going on, what is owed,
>what should be paid this year based on what was paid last year.  They want
>precison and consistency in language.  They can't have words, forms or
>meanings changing on them.

But it's no problem when words, forms and meanings change on the
tax payers...  Having a clear idea of what's going on, what is
owed and who to threaten may well involve commodities, subjects
and enemies that weren't there last year.  Situations change, and
so does language.

But you have a point for lawyers.  Legal language does tend to be
conservative.

=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv at wxs.nl
Amsterdam