Talk:Comparative linguistics

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"Less controversial [than glottochronology] is mass lexical comparison." Pardon me? Most historical linguists were up in arms about Greenberg's approach, saying that his work should be shouted down from the rooftops (or other such strong language). Changed the text to a more accurate description. Godfrey Daniel 19:58, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

I know what you mean, but:

• Glottochronology is based on an assumption about "basic vocabulary" and a quantitative method both of which lack a secure foundation. It's a technique cannot do what it claims and is beyond hope.
• Mass lexical comparison is a bad way to "establish" new relationships, particularly at spectacular time depths, but is actually a reasonable way of sub-grouping or clustering varieties which are already known to be related. No one can see how to evaluate closeness where A & B share a phonological innovation and A & C a morphological one. At least mass lexical comparison, where etymolgies are already proven, takes the subjectivity out of it. I would say that the problem is not with the technique, but the combination of shoddy workmanship and exaggerated claims from its most well-known proponents.

Perhaps the text should just say "Also controversial..." ;-) --Pfold 19:15, 27 April 2006 (UTC)