Comparative Methodology

[Rich Alderson]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I was thinking initially of the simplest case where 2 languages are
> compared in order to reconstruct the proto-language of which the 2 are
> direct descendants.  This scenario would provide the initial guidelines
> to establishing the requisite phases and steps.  Then, more complex
> situations could be addressed.

I think you will find that the majority of workers in comparative methodology
do not do binary comparisons; Bloomfield, for example, felt that 4 languages
made up the best size sample for CM.  Binary comparisons do not give you any
check on reasonableness of the growing reconstruction as you proceed, indeed
may mislead you altogether.

                                                                Rich Alderson