Historical Linguistics Flashcards
1
Q
Who is the founder of glottochronology?
A
Morris Swadesh, after whom the Swadesh List is named.
2
Q
How did Robert Dixon explain the apparently rapid rate of change in Dyirbal?
A
With something like Punctuated Equilibrium. His book was actually published in 1972 (same as Eldredge & Gould).
3
Q
What is Grimm’s Law?
A
A set of sound laws describing the development of stop consonants from PIE to Germanic.