Q: the 'only six' argument

[R. Rankin]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Larry Trask wrote:

> Quite often, in my reading, I've come across a statement of the
> following type:
>         "The presence of only six good matches between two languages
>         is enough to show that the languages must be genetically related."
> ... the number is always different.  Six is the smallest I've ever seen, but
> I've also seen 15, 50 and various other numbers.

I don't recall often seeing such claims, but it is probable that I just
disregarded them and read on.  Personally, I'm very skeptical about the
possibilty of developing any airtight criteria for genetic relationship that
will work cross-linguistically.  This sort of thing has to be done on a
case-by-case basis.  Factors may include various structural considerations
(phonological, morphological and lexical), likelihood of creolization,
likelihood of participation in a Sprachbund, etc.

Meillet is said to have remarked that one could tell if a language were
Indo-European or not just by examining the conjugation of the verb 'be'
(though at my present location I cannot give you a citation).  I tend to agree
with his insistence on morphological criteria, but still think there are far
too many potential variables for us to permit ourselves to be dogmatic.
Noodling around with "universal criteria" is an enterprise for synchronists;
we should not let ourselves be seduced into trying it in genetic linguistics.

Bob Rankin

--
Robert L. Rankin, Visiting Fellow
Research Center for Linguistic Typology
Institute for Advanced Study
La Trobe University
Bundoora, VIC 3083 Australia

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