[Flick Lives]

Interesting. Thanks.

Always a bit amazed, that even with computer analysis, there are still written languages we’ve yet to decipher.

[pierrem15]

I meant, “without zoomorphic”. sorry

[Boogieman]

Usually the problem is that for some languages, we have too small of a sample size for computer analysis to accomplish much.

[pierrem15]

Yes. The real problem is that the further back you go the more languages you find that have no living descendants, and the fewer the written attestations, the harder it is to reconstruct with no parallel languages to look at. Linear A is a good example. Even with the Linear B links to Mycenean Greek sounds, we can't reconstruct the language.

Even with PIE, we can reconstruct that based on its numerous descendants, but with no intermediate forms living or attested in ancient literature, we can't trace its relation to other language groups because there are too many possible sound change permutations to be able to do more than guess about PIE's links to the Semitic or Turkic language groups.