Jim Henry wrote:
>On 11/22/05, tomhchappell <tomhchappell@...> wrote:
>> According to some theorists, one of the major engines
>>behind
>> the rapid
>> linguistic change in the Papua/New Guinea area and its
>> nearby islands,
>> and one of the major regions that this 1% of the world's
>> inhabited land
>> area contains 15% of the world's languages, is that when
>> someone there
>> dies, it becomes taboo to say their name -- and, of course,
>> most
>> people's names are words or short phrases (usually nominals
>> or
>> adjectivals, of course).
>That sounds intriguing. Do you remember where you read
>about that?
I found out it was pages 100-101 in "Atlas of the World's
Languages: Revised Edition" by Bernard Comrie, S(tephen?)
Matthews, and Maria Polinsky.
Later, when I have more computer time, and have the book with
me at the same time, I'll write more.
>Is this custom pretty much common to all the
>tribes
>of Papua New Guinea?
I don't know yet.
Thanks, Jim.
Happy Thanks-Giving Holiday, everyone.
Tom H.C. in MI
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