Stavros, (01)
I certainly agree: (02)
> Though I certainly agree that the general question is interesting,
> I'd hope that a synthetic view would be founded on the findings
> of the regional specialists. (03)
But anyone who covers a broad field can always be attacked on
innumerable fine details. The main reason why I cited Ostler's
book is that he shows the diversity of historical influences
that have affected the history of languages around the world. (04)
Many superficial summaries assume that the Romans spread Latin
by conquest. But by showing the full range of what happened in
many different parts of the world, Ostler shows that the picture
is far more complex. Yet if you go to the details of any specific
time, place, or language, you can always discover that the issues
are far more complex than anyone could even imagine. (05)
If I wanted to know more about a specific language, I'd go to a
more specialized resource. And thank you for the reference about
the Celts. (06)
John (07)
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