Trivial Truths and Genetic "Patterns"

[Larry Trask]

--On Saturday, June 23, 2001 4:00 am +0000 X99Lynx at aol.com wrote:

[replying to someone else]

> But, in any case, believe me, what you've described is not trivial at all
> when you're dealing with some very 20-20 hindsight style explanations.
> Larry Trask's explanation of why languages can't have more than one
> genetic ancestor typically offer the conclusions as if they were
> explanations.

Steve, please!!!  I have never said any such thing.  I have *never*
asserted that a language cannot have multiple ancestors.  I have only
asserted that no Celtic or IE language is an example of a language with
multiple ancestors.

At various times, on various lists -- probably including this one, though I
can't remember -- I have pointed out that there certainly exist languages
which do not descend from a single ancestor in the ordinary way, and I have
repeatedly cited Michif as an outstanding example.  Now, whether we regard
Michif as a language with two direct ancestors, or as a language with no
direct ancestors at all, is a matter of taste and definition.  But the
point is that the ancestry of Michif is fundamentally different in nature
from the ancestry of English, or of any other known IE language.

Since I'm the person who has pointed this out repeatedly, and since I'm the
person who has emphasized the difference between Michif and English -- in
great contrast to Steve, who apparently wants to see no difference -- I
must take exception to Steve's wording when he imputes to me the position
that "languages can't have more than one genetic ancestor".  Naughty,
naughty, Steve.

Larry Trask
COGS
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QH
UK

larryt at cogs.susx.ac.uk

Tel: (01273)-678693 (from UK); +44-1273-678693 (from abroad)
Fax: (01273)-671320 (from UK); +44-1273-671320 (from abroad)