Re: Language Change
| From: | Ed Heil <edheil@...> |
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| Date: | Friday, January 7, 2000, 1:43 |
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Nik Taylor wrote:
> Ed Heil wrote:
> > There's a special reason for Australain aboriginal languages to
> > change so quickly though: taboo. When someone dies, you must never
> > say his name again, *or any word that sounds like his name.*
>
> Well, the taboo only lasts a certain period, right? Of course, it's not
> uncommon for the taboo word to simply drop out.
Maybe so; my source (Trask's _Historical Linguistics_) only mentioned
the phenomenon in passing and didn't mention a time limit on the
taboo.
Ed
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