IE and Substrates and Time

[Peter &/or Graham]

Steve said:

>1. Why do we assume that the IE languages would not act precisely like the
>non-IE languanges and splinter into extremely local variations?

You're making an assumption that doesn't fit the facts.   Some non-IE
languages splinter, some don't.   New Guinea is very mountainous and a
tradition developed of warfare between small local tribes.   Compare that
Polynesia, a vast area, where different languages have indeed developed, but
it is remarkably homogenous linguistically.   Some of the languages are
mutually comprehensible, with willing listeners.   We cannot extrapolate
from New Guniea and assume all the world followed that model.

And in Polynesia, or course there are indeed thousands of years with slow
language change.   One might think of Lithuanian...   Not all languages
change rapidly!

Peter