Darwin-L Message Log 5:169 (January 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<5:169>From margaret@ling.edinburgh.ac.uk  Thu Jan 27 05:19:05 1994

Date: Thu, 27 Jan 94 10:58:59 GMT
From: Margaret Winters <margaret@ling.edinburgh.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: History of "adaptation" in historical linguistics
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu

H. Pedersen's _Linguistic Science in the 19th Century_ (around
1945?) has a good account of theories of language development
linked to climate, etc.  Germanic languages, for example, have
Grimm's law (fairly radical changes in the consonant system
from Proto-Indo-European) because the languages were spoken
by energetic people having to do with a harsh climate and many
mountains.  Now that I am living in Edinburgh (Germanic and
Celtic), I can almost believe it!  Pedersen is a good source,
seriously.

                             From a new address for six months,
                                    Margaret Winters

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