On the Origin of Languages

Merritt Ruhlen

Published by Stanford University Press 1994

On the Origin of Languages

Studies in Linguistic Taxonomy

Merritt Ruhlen

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503622357

Overview
Contents

About this book

This book presents a series of illuminating studies which conclusively demonstrates that the prevailing conception of historical linguistics is deeply flawed. Most linguists today believe that there is no good evidence that the Indo-European family of languages is related to any other language family, or even any other language. In like manner, the New World is deemed to contain hundreds of language families, among which there are no apparent links. Furthermore, it is claimed, there are no known connections between the languages of the Old World and those of the Americas. And finally, the strongest belief of all is that there is no trace of genetic affinity—nor could there be—among the world’s language families. The author argues that all of these firmly entrenched—and vigorously defended—beliefs are false, that they are myths propagated by a small group of scholars who have failed to understand the true basis of genetic affinity. Twentieth-century Indo-Europeanists (though not their nineteenth-century forebears) have confused the issue of genetic affinity, which derives from classification, with such traditional concerns of historical linguistics as reconstruction and sound correspondences. Once it is recognized that taxonomy, or classification, must precede these traditional concerns, the apparent conflict between the traditional view and that of Joseph Greenberg and his followers is seen to be illusory. And finally, a comparison of all the world’s languages in this new perspective leaves little doubt that all extant human languages share a common origin.

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Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. An Overview of Genetic Classification Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	9
2. The Basis of Linguistic Classification Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	39
3. Khoisan Etymologies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	45
4 Proto-Yeniseian Reconstructions, with, Extra-Yeniseian Comparisons Sergei A. Starostin and Merritt Ruhlen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	70
5. Na-Dene Etymologies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	93
6. Is Algonquian Amerind? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	111
7. A Semantic Index to Greenberg's Amerind Etymologies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	127
8. Additional Amerind Etymologies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	156
9. Amerind T'AJNA 'Child, Sibling' Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	183
10. The Linguistic Origins of Native Americans Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	207
11. Amerind MALIQ' A 'Swallow, Throat' and Its Origin in the Old World Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	242
12. First- and Second-Person Pronouns in the World's Languages Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	252
13. The Origin of Language: Retrospective and Prospective Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	261
14. Global Etymologies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	277
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	337

Language: English
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Audience: College/higher education;
Pages
- Main content: 356

eBook

Published: January 21, 2022
ISBN: 9781503622357