Semantic change

[X99Lynx at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/3/99 5:29:56 PM, ECOLING at aol.com wrote:

<<A less plausible semantic relation means that two
look-alikes are less plausible as cognates.  But requiring "identity" of
meanings or even "near-identity" of meanings is an absurd
requirement also, when we are working at great time depths.>>

In some cases, we might go even farther and suggest that over thousands of
years <<"identity" of meanings or even "near-identity" of meanings>> is
itself implausible.  This would be especially true where major changes
separate what the cognates refer to as opposed to what the common ancestor
referred to.

Regards,
Steve Long