Re: Paleoasiatic (was: Favourite Language Group?)

Pavel Iosad wrote:
>Hello,
>
> > >- Paleoasiatic
> >
> > What's this?
>
>Citing Volodin A. P. Introduction // Languages of the World.
>Paleoasiatic languages. Moscow: Indrik, 1997
>
>Paleoasiatic (or PaleoSiberian) languages are a conventional entity of
>several genetically unrelated languages and small language groups,
>united on geographical principles. The term belongs to L. I. Shrenk, who
>in mid-19th century offered the hypothesis that the Paleoasatic peoples,
>as a result of the expansion of the Altaic peoples (Turks, Mongols,
>Tungus-Manchu peoples), were partly assimilated by the newcomers and
>partly confined to the northern and northeastern fringes of Asia and
>into North America. [...] the following languages are usually classified
>as Paleoasiatic: Chukchi-Kamchatkan, Eskimo-Aleut, Yenissean, as well as
>the genetically isolated Yukaghir and Nivkh [...]
>
So it's the same as Paleosibirian. Long live inconsistent terminology ...
(no offence meant to Pavel - I'm sure he isn't the one who invented the
variant terms!)

                                              Andreas

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