[SunkenCiv]

As far as I am concerned, the past, like the present, was complex and development multifacited.

Well said. Barry Fell once noted that he'd received a letter from a Native American, vacationing in Spain, who heard some Basque speakers conversing in his tribal tongue. He was able to understand most of their words, and vice versa, presumably the differences being the loan vocabulary.

George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent

[blam]

"Well said. Barry Fell once noted that he'd received a letter from a Native American, vacationing in Spain, who heard some Basque speakers conversing in his tribal tongue. He was able to understand most of their words, and vice versa, presumably the differences being the loan vocabulary. "

Thanks, I didn't know where I had gotten that bit of info. I've read most of Fell's work so...that must have been it.

[SunkenCiv]

Links to various useful posts regarding Barry Fell:

http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3a22b52343c3.htm#23
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3a22b52343c3.htm#63

http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3a3f621c380f.htm#16
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3a3f621c380f.htm#16

http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3b11003848e1.htm#56
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3b11003848e1.htm#60

http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3b938cda48c8.htm#14

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1160355/posts?page=16#16
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1160355/posts?page=54#54
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1160355/posts?page=57#57
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1160355/posts?page=59#59

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1511098/posts?page=34#34
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1511098/posts?page=68#68

also of interest, not mentioning Barry Fell:

http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3b938cda48c8.htm#6
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1160355/posts?page=79#79

[SunkenCiv]

America B.C.
by Barry Fell
(1976)find it in a nearby library

A fascinating letter I received from a Shoshone Indian who had been traveling in the Basque country of Spain tells of his recognition of Shoshone words over there, including his own name, whose Shoshone meaning proved to match the meaning attached to a similar word by the modern Basques. Unfortunately I mislaid this interesting letter. If the Shoshone scholar who wrote to me should chance to see these words I hope he will forgive me and contact me again. The modern Basque settlers of Idaho may perhaps bring forth a linguist to investigate matters raised in this chapter. [p 173]