PIE vs. Proto-World (Proto-Language)

[Patrick C. Ryan]

Dear Ralf-Stefan and IEists:

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Ralf-Stefan Georg <Georg at home.ivm.de>
Sent: Friday, July 16, 1999 4:28 AM

Ralf-Stefan wrote:

> And, if I may insert this much to Pat's chagrin, the notion that human
> language is a monogenetic phenomenon is aprioristic ideology. Even the
> notion that every known language, as Basque, Burushaski or whatnot, has to
> be related to some other language is ideology. "Having consonants" may be a
> universal feature of human language, "Being related to some other lg."
> simply is not.

Pat responds:

There is no *tangible* way for us to ever know whether languages arose
monogenetically or polygenetically however most linguists, even when they
deny its recoverability, have correctly weighed the odds of mono- vs.
polygenesis, and subscribe to monogenesis. If a probablistically calculated
hypothesis is "ideology", then everything done in historical linguistics is
"ideology".

Pat

PATRICK C. RYAN (501) 227-9947; FAX/DATA (501)312-9947 9115 W. 34th St.
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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)