LINGUIST List 4.253

Thu 08 Apr 1993

Qs: Word frequency, writing systems, Etruscan, Pooley

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1. Bill Croft, Query: word frequency dictionaries
2. wynne janis, languages without writing systems
3. , Query on Etruscan
4. Julie Auger, Address for Timothy Pooley

I am looking for word frequency dictionaries of non-European languages.
In addition to published dictionaries, I would also be interested in
computerized corpora of non-European languages that I could access and
use a concordance program to construct such information. Please send
replies to wcroftcsli.stanford.edu; I will post a summary of sources
to LINGUIST is there is interest.
Bill Croft
CSLI
Stanford University
Stanford CA 94305-4115 USA
wcroftcsli.stanford.edu

Does anyone know what percentage (approximately) of the world's languages
do *not* have writing systems (i.e., no writing system of any kind, not
just not an alphabetic one)?

A friend of mine needs this information for a paper, and we can't find any
one who provides anything more specific than "many languages do not have
writing systems".

If you know this information or know of a possible source that might have it,
please e-mail to me directly ASAP.

 Thanks,
 Wynne

Years ago, I heard rumors that Etruscan had actually been deciphered, and
also that it is related to the Northwest Caucasian languages. I would
appreciate knowing if there is any substance to this, and if there are
any very recent treatments of Etruscan linguistic origins. i am familiar
with the older lit. Please reply to me directly, and I will summarize for
the list.
Willem J. de Reuse
Dept. of Anthropology
University of Arizona
wdereuseccit.arizona.edu

Does anyone have an address, email or otherwise, for
Timothy Pooley? Thanks in advance.
--Julie Auger