Re: Proto-Uralic?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Markus Miekk-oja" <fam.miekk-oja@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 2:50 PM
Subject: Re: Proto-Uralic?


> > >I have also seen pages where it is claimed that Proto-Uralic never
> > >existed, but rather that Uralic was a convergence area.  Apparently,
> > >the field is less developed than IE historical linguistics, which might
>
> Convergence area? Do you mean a tight-knit spraachbund-like thing, which
> split before total "convergence" had been reached? sounds like a nifty
> method of explaining conlang-"families" with inexplainable irregular
> derivations... =)
>
I believe he means a similar phenomenon to Australian languages, in which
features are spread through contact over unrelated languages so much that
actual families are undiscernable.