Okay, how do people reconstruct dead languages in the way they are spoken? I know that for physical archeological artifacts, you can reconstruct them, but for languages? How do people reconstruct a dead language in terms of how they are spoken and what they sound like?
In: 5
A lot of different ways. One of the most reliable is to compare it to relatives – few languages are completely distinct, as many evolved as tribes grew and split and sometimes there are surviving descendants that can be traced back. Sometimes artifacts like poetry can help, by pointing out for instance rhyme schemes.
Latest Answers