PIE vs. Proto-Language

Tue Aug 3 14:27:17 UTC 1999

Dear Joat and IEists:

 ----- Original Message -----
From: <JoatSimeon at aol.com>
Sent: Friday, July 30, 1999 3:38 PM

>>> -- with minor exceptions (such as "kuku"), words _are_ arbitrary sound
>>> assemblages.

>> Pat writes:

>> Why do you not explain to us all why that is true? I am firmly convinced
>> that it is unequivocally incorrect.

> -- because any sound within the human range will do as well as any other for
> any given referent.  A rose may be a znfargle.

Martin A. Nowak and David C. Krakauer have recently published an article
entitled "The Evolution of Language" in PNAS: Vol. 96, July 1999, pp.
8028-8033, which might be of interest to you in this context.

[ moderator snip ]

Pat

PATRICK C. RYAN (501) 227-9947; FAX/DATA (501)312-9947 9115 W. 34th St.
Little Rock, AR 72204-4441 USA WEBPAGES:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2803 and PROTO-RELIGION:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2803/proto-religion/indexR.html "Veit
ek, at ek hekk, vindga meipi, nftr allar nmu, geiri undapr . . . a ~eim
meipi er mangi veit hvers hann af rstum renn." (Havamal 138)