The perils of reconstruction: the case of Proto-Yao
From time to time the writer has informally expressed the view that it often proves easier to reconstruct at an earlier level, say Proto-Sino-Tibetan. than at a later level. say Proto-Sinitic (Chinese/ Bai). This has been described as an 'illusion' (Matisoff 1990: 1 17), but cases conti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/179326 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | From time to time the writer has informally expressed the view that it
often proves easier to reconstruct at an earlier level, say Proto-Sino-Tibetan.
than at a later level. say Proto-Sinitic (Chinese/ Bai). This has been described
as an 'illusion' (Matisoff 1990: 1 17), but cases continue to surface that support
the notion. It is even possible for a whole series of related components to be
involved, as in a recent case that has come up involving the Miao-Yao (MY)
family. |
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