Newsgroups: sci.archaeology,sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!rutgers!news.sgi.com!howland.erols.net!netcom.com!petrich
From: petrich@netcom.com (Loren Petrich)
Subject: Re: Etruscans [was: Re: The Coming of the Greeks]
Message-ID: <petrichE14Gox.MzB@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <54q9ou$85o_002@dialin.csus.edu> <56oh14$i2g@fridge-nf0.shore.net> <56rbgq$7ba@csu-b.csuohio.edu> <56sfdo$hma@fridge-nf0.shore.net>
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 14:38:57 GMT
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Sender: petrich@netcom10.netcom.com
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.archaeology:56155 sci.lang:64517

In article <56sfdo$hma@fridge-nf0.shore.net>,
Steve Whittet <whittet@shore.net> wrote:

>I asked this earlier. Loren represents the position that
>prehistoric language can be scientifically reconstructed.

>Mallory and Renfrew represent two of the many different
>positions that can be arrived at from such reconstructions.

	Those two are doing archeology, and NOT linguistics.

>I would suggest that one variable is the rate of change.
>We cannot assume that language changed at the same rate
>in prehistoric times as it did in historic times.

	So what? Attempts to estimate such rates of change have been 
fraught with controversy. Mr. Whittet, why don't you actually *study* 
historical linguistics for just once in your life???

	[Spread of IE...]
>I have proposed that the increased use of boats for trade
>along coasts, across seas and up rivers in the 3rd millenium BC
>is another mechanism worth taking a look at.

	That does NOT explain spread in inland areas, well away from 
easily navigable rivers. And the pattern of IE dispersion requires a heck 
of a lot of overland journeying. Consider how Sanskrit arrived in India 
-- over a LOT of mountains in what is now Iran and Afghanistan.

	[A whole lot of WhittetBabble deleted]

>The question I raised was does language evolve in the same way
>people do. I would say it does. I think Loren has a different
>concept. 

>He thinks language, once created, doesn't change much,
>it just adds a few borrowed words. ...

	Mr. Whittet, don't be an idiot. I claimed NO such thing. In fact, 
I point out that there seems to be more language evolution than what 
might seem motivated by linguistic necessity (or at least some simplistic 
conception of it).

	[Some more WhittetBabble deleted]
-- 
Loren Petrich				Happiness is a fast Macintosh
petrich@netcom.com			And a fast train
My home page: http://www.webcom.com/petrich/home.html
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