Doing historical linguistics (part 2)

[John Hewson]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
On Tue, 10 Nov 1998, Larry Trask wrote:
 
> Oh, there are certainly rules, but there are no algorithms.  For
> example, given the observed variant forms of the Basque word for `ear',
> there is only one reconstruction that obeys all the rules.
>
> > My original question is/was why there is no algorithm for producing
> > protoforms. Either what you practice is a science or it is not. If
> > it is magic you don't have to explain it. If it is science it should
> > be possible to see it in writing in some book.
 
        Actually there is an algorithm that a Systems Analyst and I
developed to produce my _Computer-generated Dictionary of
Proto-Algonquian_ (Ottawa: National Museums of Canada, 1993). It may be
stated in a single sentence, as on p.iv of the above: From the data of the
daughter languages generate all possible protoforms, then sort
alphabetically, and examine all sets of identical protoforms collocated by
the sort. The methodology has now been streamlined by John Lowe and
Martine Mazaudon, who reported on it in an article in the Bulletin de la
Societe Linguistique de Paris. Their "Reconstruction Engine"
even reconstructs tones, and can be adapted to the use of any language
family.
 
        The existence of these algorithms is a massive demonstration of
the regularity of sound change. But the final product still has to be
worked on by the linguist, given the nature of human languages. There may
be more than one possible reconstruction thrown up by the algorithm, where
perhaps one or more definitive item of evidence is lacking. If this
further evidence can not be obtained by subsequent research, the
reconstruction must remain tentative (the same is true for all
reconstructions, of course, machine-generated or not).
 
 
John Hewson, FRSC                               tel: (709)737-8131
Henrietta Harvey Professor of Linguistics       fax: (709)737-4000
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's NF, CANADA A1B 3X9