Two Questions for Journalist

[Joel S. Berson]

At 12/14/2012 06:55 PM, Baker, John wrote:
>         Perhaps I should have said that modern computer databases
> "found evidence strongly supporting" the likely derivation from
> "jasm," since HDAS (and perhaps others?) had already identified it
> as one possible source.

This seems to be suggesting -- or perhaps asserting? -- a cooperative
process:  "the old-fashioned way" suggests a possibility that was not
thought of in (previous) computer searches but that once identified
is readily found?  (I'm sure that happens in other fields than
etymology.  I have the strong feeling its happened to me in
historical research, although I can't identify a specific example.)

Joel

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