When a Parent Becomes a Daughter

[X99Lynx at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/25/00 11:20:10 PM, Sean Crist wrote:

**It's apparently a problem for you.... I never drew any distinction between
branching and forking.  I use the terms to mean exactly the same thing.**

The problem is yours.  You do not seem to even keep track of what you
yourself are writing.

You just wrote: **I never drew any distinction between branching and forking.
 I use the terms to mean exactly the same thing.**

HOWEVER, in a message dated 1/11/00 12:05:57 AM, you wrote:
**A forking in a language follows from a forking in the community of
speakers,...
In this post and in others, you've conceived of language branching as a
main trunk which continues, and a daughter which separates off of this
trunk and goes its own way (e.g., when you use the phrase "...a daughter
branches off"). I'd argue that this is not looking at things the right
way.  THERE ARE ONLY FORKINGS.  IT'S NOT POSSIBLE FOR JUST ONE DAUGHTER TO
BRANCH OFF; if there's been a forking, then you have two daughters.**
(Caps are mine.)

You further wrote:
**You seem to be having an awful time getting your mind around this, because
you've been beating this same drum since last summer....**

Let me respond that I think it may be you who are having "an awful time" with
it.
Read the quote above and look back at your posts.  You are switching
positions and are now suggesting the two ways of looking at this matter are
merely terminological - which of course was the point I made in my post.  It
is not what you were saying in your prior posts.

Let's just say that the statement about a parent co-existing with a parent
merely involves terminology - something I suggested when it was first brought
up -- and end it there.

Regards,
Steve Long

[ Moderator's note:
  I think that is a very good suggestion.  Any further discussion of this topic
  should be taken to private e-mail.
  --rma ]