LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.07.23 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 23.JUL.2002 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: "Jan Strunk" <strunk at linguistics.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.07.22 (01) [E]

Hi,

I'm currently partaking in a linguistics summerschool in Düsseldorf.
For that reason, I have recapitulated a little bit of what I know
about historical linguistics (which is not my main area of interest).
I have just finished reading "Historical linguistics" by R.L. Trask,
a standard introduction to the field.
In a chapter about glottochronology (i.e. estimating by statistical
means
the time of seperation of two sister languages and related problems),
he states that in employing the Swadesh list for this purpose, one
definitely should not look for cognates but for translation equivalents.
The number of cognates turning up in such a comparison is actually the
data used for estimating the number of years elapsed since seperation.
One example that he gives is:
Although German still has a cognate of English "head" namely "Haupt",
the
German equivalent for English head using the Swadesh list should
be "Kopf" (a non-cognate) because that is the normal word in every-day
German.

I also recommend to every one interested in historical linguistics and
establishing genetic links between languages to read one or two serious
introductory works like Trask (above) or McMahon "Explaining language
change" or Hock (I've forgotton the title).
If one is inclined to believe in "far-fetched" genetic links or not,
one should take into account that even an impressive number of
seemingly cognates can just be produced by chance. One has to
establish systematic developments from a common form and plausible
semantic change.
That's just an advice. I don't mean to offend anybody. And even if
I did I won't enter into any discussion because I don't have any time at
all
at the moment.

Laot et ink gued gaon!

Jan Strunk
strunk at linguistics.ruhr-uni-bochum.de

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties

Jan,

Thanks a lot for the reminders and advice (above).

In particular, thanks for reminding us of something so basic many of us
tend to forget to mention it (and some forget it for the sake of
convenience):

> One has to
> establish systematic developments from a common form and plausible
> semantic change.

I can't see why this should be offensive to anyone, since it is the most
important, basic guideline.

However, even *with* regular phonological and semantic shifts outlined
and established, many a language family theory has retained many of its
attackers, such as used to be the case in the Indo-European field (and
that isn't all that long ago) and especially in the Altaic field in
which sound shift rules are much clearer than in Indo-European.*  My
point is that it is not quite as easy as all that if for whatever reason
people are not happy with the thought of a given theory and therefore
are simply not prepared to open their minds to it.

(* Too many seemingly random "cognates" and too flimsy a sound shift
theory seems to have been also the reason for the shelving of the
Ural-Altaic theory in most quarters, and it is *the* major hurdle for
Nostraticist and their ilk.)

I hope you are enjoying your course and are getting something out of it.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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