The UPenn IE Tree (the stem)

[Richard M. Alderson III]

On 10 Sep 1999, Steve Long wrote:

>But I'm pretty sure (I may be wrong) that in the Stammbaum the 'innovations'
>considered always attach to the node or branch.  That was the way it was
>described in the first posts on all this - with the branch representing the
>"unshared innovation."  Also I don't think the Stammbaum approach can
>recognize anything as sophisticated as changing verb systems.  Based on
>what's been said so far, at least.

You have misunderstood the word "branch" in this context; a better description
of what is examined in the tree is that each *fork* represents a pair of sets
of innovations, with a group of dialects on one side of the fork showing one
set and dialects on the other side showing the other set.  It may be the case
that one set in each pair is null, but it is not necessary that it always be
the "left" set (in the representation of the tree presented in this list).

That is to say, "branch" above is the abstract verbal noun from the denomina-
tive verb "branch" rather than the noun "branch" on which the verb is built.

								Rich Alderson