LINGUIST List 2.697

Tue 22 Oct 1991

Qs: Chinese, Dravidian

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1. Laurel Smith Stvan, Chinese NP sources
2. , Origin of Retroflexion in Dravidian

I am looking for references to works on Chinese NPs (in the hope of finding
data for a DP-analysis approach to Chinese.) Does anyone know likely
sources?
Thanks,
Laurel Smith Stvan
Northwestern University

 This is a question for all those experts in Nostratic theory
out there. As far as we know, retroflex consonants are reconstructed
as far back as Proto-Dravidian. If Dravidian is a branch of Nostratic
family, what happens to retroflexion? Do we reconstruct retroflexion
to Proto-Nostratic? Or, do we claim that Dravidian independently
developed retroflexion? Any suggestions?
 From: Madhav M. Deshpande, University of Michigan