"lumpers" - in defence of Ruhlen

[Robert Orr]

There is actually a work by Ruhlen dating from the 70's, which, while open
to substantal criticism, is absoutely unexceptionable from the scholarly
point of view:

Ruhlen, Merrit. 1978. "Nasal Vowels". Joseph Greenberg, ed. Universals of
Human Language. 2.
Phonology. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 203-41.

Robert Orr

>While I have not had the pleasure of meeting the others named by Mr. Holm, I
>studied Anatolian linguistics with Prof. Shevoroshkin for an entire semester.
>Although I was not interested in the (Illic^-Svityc^) Nostratic etymologies
>proposed for various difficult Lycian, Lydian, or Carian items, my overall
>impression of him was positive:  He clearly is an excellent linguist with a
>strong grasp of the methodologies of historical linguistics.

>I would not even rule out a work associated with Mr. Ruhlen without at least a
>cursory examination.  I daresay most list members are as tolerant as I...

> Rich Alderson