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Re: Question about Latin.

From:Dirk Elzinga <dirk_elzinga@...>
Date:Wednesday, October 27, 2004, 18:00
On Oct 27, 2004, at 6:31 AM, Thomas R. Wier wrote:

> From: John Leland <Lelandconlang@...> >> I have always wondered if the Korean particle -kwa, which is used >> very much >> as -que is used in Latin could be related, or if that is just a >> coincidence. >> Certainly if the languages asa whole are related it must be very >> distantly. > > Almost certainly, they are not related. Such chance similarities > arise all the time between any two given languages, whether or not > they are related: English 'bad' is not cognate with Persian /b&d/, > but they mean the same thing; mod. Greek _oma_ 'eye' is likewise not > related to Malay _oma_ 'eye'. Mark Rosenfelder has a good essay > on the subject: > > <http://zompist.com/chance.htm> > > NB his comparison of Quechua and Semitic lexical items.
I have also begun compiling a list of false friends in English and Shoshoni that I use when talking about the comparative method in my classes: kimma 'come' (come) soosi 'foamy' (suds) aantsi?i 'termite' (ant) h1na(-pin) 'bitter brush' (henna) nana 'relative' (nana) papi 'older brother' (papa) p1s1 'it-/her-/himself' (person) poyokka 'trot' (polka) m1a 'moon' (moon) taipoo [taiBo:] 'white man' (devil) At least one of these has entered folk etymology status among Shoshonis -- _taipoo_ 'white man' < 'devil'. It actually comes from the stem _t1poo-_ meaning 'write, mark'. Dirk -- Dirk Elzinga Dirk_Elzinga@byu.edu "I believe that phonology is superior to music. It is more variable and its pecuniary possibilities are far greater." - Erik Satie