tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post7985759817068556836..comments2023-09-24T05:45:23.811-05:00Comments on Paleoglot: How NOT to reconstruct a protolanguageGlen Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02440249042894225949noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-24057891076912155572015-05-17T03:24:05.552-05:002015-05-17T03:24:05.552-05:00The Altaic theory ("hypothesis", I'd...The Altaic theory ("hypothesis", I'd say) is one of the most flawed ones I've ever seen.<br />It is just based on wishful thinking.<br /><br />Mr. Gordon, you are definitely one of the few sensible scholars I've come across.<br />Please don't stop making your blog.<br /><br />Best regards.Manuel GMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11102537737888360563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-50554861594354919342008-02-14T02:54:00.000-06:002008-02-14T02:54:00.000-06:00Okay, I have spare time and will address some more...Okay, I have spare time and will address some more points here, David. As I said, your comments were long and there's a lot to explore here. You mentioned some specific reconstructions by Starostin and their purported reflexes. Time to tackle those:<BR/><BR/><B>David Marjanović: <I>"[The Etymological Dictionary of the Altaic Languages] reconstructs [...] */ŋi̯u/ as 'three'."</I></B><BR/><BR/>Glen Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02440249042894225949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-76344215804213180842008-02-13T04:19:00.000-06:002008-02-13T04:19:00.000-06:00Wow, I thought that _I_ wrote the longest Blogger ...Wow, I thought that _I_ wrote the longest Blogger comment in the world, but you have me beat, David! :) We'll break Blogger yet. Hahaha. There's a lot to discuss here though so please excuse if I'm rushing through this to answer questions before my next engagement.<BR/><BR/><B>David Marjanović: <I>"First of all, as a biologist, it baffles me to no end that historical linguists talk about "proof",Glen Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02440249042894225949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-72127964160930250002008-02-12T19:42:00.000-06:002008-02-12T19:42:00.000-06:00Sorry -- I had managed to overlook that you posted...Sorry -- I had managed to overlook that you posted this in November, when the <A HREF="http://starling.rinet.ru/Texts/books.php?lan=en" REL="nofollow">Articles and Books site of starling.rinet.ru</A> was AFAIK not yet up. The Wikipedia article on Altaic had about its present form, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-85536482486650655002008-02-12T19:39:00.000-06:002008-02-12T19:39:00.000-06:00Well.First of all, as a biologist, it baffles me t...Well.<BR/><BR/>First of all, as a biologist, it baffles me to no end that historical linguists talk about "proof", "unproven hypotheses" and suchlike. Of all scientists, only historical linguists <B>ever</B> use the word "proof" and its derivatives, and <B>they really, really, really shouldn't.</B> That's because science cannot prove, only disprove. If we find the truth, we cannot prove that whatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-35126226468109103782007-11-28T09:29:00.000-06:002007-11-28T09:29:00.000-06:00Phoenix: "The work on the Hittite dictionary is in...<B>Phoenix: <I>"The work on the Hittite dictionary is indeed VERY interesting, and I get paid for it, how cool is that :P</I></B><BR/><BR/>You have cake and eat it too. I'm jealous :)<BR/><BR/><B>Phoenix: <I>"I can understand a proponent of Starostin's theories would find this post offensive."</I></B><BR/><BR/>Yes, I don't expect them to see <I>why</I> their theories can't work because their Glen Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02440249042894225949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-31832501637275632132007-11-28T08:12:00.000-06:002007-11-28T08:12:00.000-06:00The work on the Hittite dictionary is indeed VERY ...The work on the Hittite dictionary is indeed VERY interesting, and I get paid for it, how cool is that :P<BR/><BR/>I am amused how 'George Starostin' manages to accuse you of what is generally done by long-distance linguists. I can understand a proponent of Starostin's theories would find this post offensive. But surely one must agree that some of the methodology of Starostin's work is downright Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-74522886806155314992007-11-25T19:56:00.000-06:002007-11-25T19:56:00.000-06:00Phoenix,Wow, that sounds like an interesting proje...Phoenix,<BR/><BR/>Wow, that sounds like an interesting project (for geeks like me at least, hehe).<BR/><BR/>I think the answer to your frustration can be found in <A HREF="http://starling.rinet.ru/Texts/ToB_FAQ.pdf" REL="nofollow">the software's accompanying pdf</A>:<BR/><BR/><I>"Yes, STARLING is definitely not the most user-friendly program ever made - it has always<BR/>valued substance over Glen Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02440249042894225949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-67120256754292273842007-11-25T19:37:00.000-06:002007-11-25T19:37:00.000-06:00The above "anonymous" troll's IP address is curren...The above "anonymous" troll's IP address is currently <A HREF="http://www.ipgp.net/index.php?mode=view" REL="nofollow">79.172.85.72</A> (from <A HREF="http://iskratelecom.ru" REL="nofollow"><BR/>Iskra Telecom</A>) but often changes, keeping within the range 79.172.*.*. Any coward can log in as "anonymous" and claim whomever they wish to be for that day if they are that desperate in life. However,Glen Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02440249042894225949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-62700151764487045402007-11-25T11:15:00.000-06:002007-11-25T11:15:00.000-06:00Very sad, Mr. Gordon. But the blame is on me - I s...Very sad, Mr. Gordon. But the blame is on me - I should have remembered your blog is reserved for bombastic monologs rather than constructive discussion, which you find 'abusive' by definition. This is, after all, why you have chosen to run off from all the discussion boards and Wikipedia - so as not to be bothered by trolls who actually have something to say and do not get most of their Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202150793869184289.post-286311798609930912007-11-25T09:59:00.000-06:002007-11-25T09:59:00.000-06:00That was a very enjoyable post, it had me laughing...That was a very enjoyable post, it had me laughing a lot ;)<BR/><BR/>Starostin is post mortem annoying me to no end too. Not because of his theories, but his software.<BR/><BR/>I'm currently working on digitalising Kloekhorst's Hittite Etymological dictioanary (which I believe is currently unpublish, but believe me it's awesome). Digitalising involved me having to work with Starsoft and Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com