Comprehensibility: sound vs grammar

[X99Lynx at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/20/2001 4:48:10 PM, PROF TRASK WRITES:

<<Similarity in sound systems is not a good metric for degree of divergence.>>

And so is there any way of objectively measuring degree of divergence?

I WROTE:

<<If morphology, grammar and syntax are the least likely things to be
borrowed (a la DLW's finite verbs), then perhaps they are the least likely to
change, and therefore are the features that least reflect accurately rates or
degrees of change.>>

PROF TRASK REPLIED:

<<Sorry; this makes no sense.  If the grammar of a language changes
dramatically, then the language has changed greatly, and we cannot pretend
otherwise merely because the pronunciation hasn't changed much. >>

Typical disparaging and groundless overstatement.

First of all, you slip right into your usual conclusions - "changed greatly."

Secondly, no one said a change in grammar doesn't change a language.  My
point was that morphology and grammar may PERHAPS least accurately reflect
rates of degrees of change.

What is the basis of your criticism here?  What's your measure of change
here?  How do you measure change so that you can say a language changes
"greatly" when a grammar changes "dramatically?"  How do you measure any of
that?

Absolute statements.  Conclusions with no objective basis.  Ill-defined
terms.  The usual.

The only reference I see to any measure you can offer is:

<<But P-N languages have still undergone a very significant degree of change.
Neighboring P-N languages are typically not mutually comprehensible at all.>>

Here you say that comprehensibility is some evidence of the degree of change.

But does change in grammar have anywhere as much impact on comprehensibility
as phonology?  My statement was a PERHAPS.  You act as if you have some
special information that says otherwise and somehow clearly makes my
statement "not make any sense."

Do you have any proof of this, one way or the other?  Or is this just another
overstated impression of yours?

Steve Long