> ---In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Herman Miller <hmiller@...> wrote:
>> [snip]
>>
>> I'm not convinced that any language (not intended for communication
>> with computers) is actually recursive. Appending to the beginning or
>> end of a phrase doesn't imply recursion. Proposed examples of center-
>> embedding in languages like English end up being unrealistic beyond
>> one or two levels. If there's some language that regularly produces
>> center embedded phrases around 5 levels deep (in actual usage, not
>> contrived examples), that might be more convincing.
>>
>
> I disagree. I think Geoffrey Sampson's paper "From central embedding to
> empirical linguistics" (
http://www.grsampson.net/AFce.html ) shows that such
> things are natural in English.