u/PoxonAllHoaxes

in the early 20th century there were such dialects. are there any speakers of such dialects now? and/or any recordings of anyone who spoke like that?

It seems to me that there is a confusion in the vast literature on the proofs of the existence of God. These are actually (correct if I am wrong) attempts to prove that God MUST exist, needed precisely because we (most of us anyway) have no evidence of the sort we depend on for the existence of lesser beings. But no one tries to prove my existence or yours or Donald Trump's because in these cases we first of all realize that there is MUST about it so no such proof could possibly be valid and second we have much better evidence (of our senses). In short, should we not be referring always to alleged "proofs that God must necessarily exist"?

Kenneth C. Hill had a manuscript going back to 1988 or 1989 (and likely later revisions) which I used to own a copy of, and it is often mentioned, but I can't locate a copy now. If anybody could help?

https://te.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B0%B8%E0%B1%82%E0%B0%B0%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%AF%E0%B1%81%E0%B0%A1%E0%B1%81_(%E0%B0%B8%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%A8%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%AE%E0%B0%BE)

In Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada anyway the word for the sun is borrowed from Sanskrit sūrya. I would like to know the word or words used in as many other Dravidian languages as possible, and also whether they all have a separate word for 'sunshine, sunlight, sunniness' (which is not so carefully distinguished in European languages but is it seems throughout South Asia) as anyone can point me to. Thank you.

I know nothing except a little of what I have read but would very much appreciate someone who does sparing a few minutes to inform me (and not just me). The issue is a mummy found c. 1905 in a tomb known as KV 55. Egyptologists are often told that this man died in his early 20's. Is such age determination possible? What would tell us he was not 30? This is crucial because there are other reasons he may be Akhenaten, who should have been 30 or so--and there is a body of opinion that simply says it cannot be him because as I say they claim to know the body is younger. So I really need educated opinions on whether one can really tell. Thank you.

A friend from the Univ of Michigan found a passage I had never found from 搜神後記 Sōushén hòujì (卷6, 467).  The story is called ‘Four Men 捉 a Horse’ (四人捉馬), and my interest is the verb 捉, which consistent with some recent publications (incl mine but not only) does not mean (as it would in later Chinese) that they catch the horse but rather than they grab at (by the legs) and the let go--twice. I would be very interested in--and grateful for--any similar examples that anyone can find for me. In particular I seem to recall a battle seen where one man grabs another's horse so that the latter won't run off and they fight hand to hand but can't seem to find it again. But anything like this (and it need not be a horse, in fact I would love examples where the object is human) would be very much appreciated and will be acknowledged in print in the journal Ural-altaische Jahrbücher most likely as well as a book.

I need someone to run an errand for me, specifically, visit the University library and scan a book that is there.

This is supposed to be at the Library of Congress but for days they haven't been able to find where. It must have been there once because several researches quote from it who apparently saw there in person. This is the text that was edited (which is the point, to see HOW it was edited) into the blockbuster book in 1928. Any help would be much appreciated, esp. if someone has a copy and would share it.

This is supposed to be at the Library of Congress but for days they haven't been able to find where. It must have been there once because several researches quote from it who apparently saw there in person. This is the text that was edited (which is the point, to see HOW it was edited) into the blockbuster book in 1928. Any help would be much appreciated, esp. if someone has a copy and would share it.

I hope this is OK here as it is really a question about the history of Astronomy. I had always thought that the discovery of the phases of Venus was taken to support heliocentrism, but I see now that Avicenna thought that there would be phases of Venus too IF planets did not have their own sources of light. So it is a question of how these phases actually work?

The empress Wu Zetian武則天 had ordered the change, in Chinese, of the references of a Turkic ruler who had devastated her armies from骨篤祿 (Modern Gudulu MC kwot.towk.luwk), identified as Turkic Kutlug ‘Fortunate’ by Parker (1895: 18 = 1924: 13), to不卒祿 (Modern Buzulu MC pjut.tswot.luwk). There have been several attempts to identify this latter name as either Chinese or Turkic. The Turkic ideas were based on an error, and the Chinese seem less than revealing. Does anyone have any ideas? Also, is there any recent work on this? I know nothing more recent than c. 1930.

 

The empress Wu Zetian武則天 had ordered the change, in Chinese, of the references of a Turkic ruler who had devastated her armies from骨篤祿 (Modern Gudulu MC kwot.towk.luwk), identified as Turkic Kutlug ‘Fortunate’ by Parker (1895: 18 = 1924: 13), to不卒祿 (Modern Buzulu MC pjut.tswot.luwk). There have been several attempts to identify this latter name as either Chinese or Turkic. The Turkic ideas were based on an error, and the Chinese seem less than revealing. Does anyone have any ideas? Also, is there any recent work on this? I know nothing more recent than c. 1930.

 

It is commonly claimed (tho here and there I find authors who object) that vigesimal number systems are based on counting fingers and toes. However, I have found no examples of languages where any numeral is etymologically connected to words for foot or toe, nor any statement that someone has observed someone counting on fingers AND toes. Have I missed something? Any relevant literature will be used and cited, and help will be acknowledged in print. Thank you.

Hello all, this word is recorded in various sources (only some of which do I have at hand) for Holland, Alsace, and various places in Germany, but is not known from any locale further East than Berlin or the like. It is listed as meaning variously 'non-Jew, servant/maid, bad person'. The basic question is the final vowel. In some sources this is given for the feminine only, but others give it for the masculine as well. This is puzzling and it seems to me rare as far as such words go. F.ex. no one uses goye for goy. If anyone has any information on these words, I would be grateful.

I would be very grateful.

Hello to all, would any kind soul have the Yiddish original and be willing to check one or two things for me. I am nowhere near a library that would have it, and need it to check whether the translation is accurate and in particular one or two terms he uses in Yiddish--for some publications. In particular what does he call RENORMING? Thank you.

Would any of you very kind and well-read folks know who first proposed that, despite lack of a *-w-, this word is to be taken as 'TWO (*dwe/o-) hands'. I thought it was Bopp but it seems not. Bopp seems to be the author of the idea that the words for '20' (like Latin viginti) are forms beginning with TWO (*dwi-) but I don't see where he says anything about '10'. And next who was the first to say that words like viginti actually come from *dwi-dk'mt-i(H), with two *d's of which there is no trace? Whoever tells me will be thanked profusely and acknowledged in print, hopefully before the year is out.

I am trying to do a study of Ukrainian rhyme, and I am specifically interested in rhymes of the two vowels i and и with each other. I'd like to find out whether anyone has studied this, also if there is a searchable collection of Ukrainian poetry, songs, the like that one could use to get some meaningful statistics.

The Mō- is pretty clear and presumably the second part was distorted under the influence of the name Memphis, which had nothing to do with it--but is this discussed anywhere?