The languages of Northern Eurasia: Inference to the best explanation

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of hypotheses of classification of the languages of northern Eurasia, from the early “Scythian” hypothesis to the later Nostratic, Eurasiatic, Sino-Caucasian, and Dene-Caucasian proposals. The concept of scientific “proof ” is discussed and contrasted with an alternative concept of “best explanation.” Eurasiatic and Dene-Caucasian can then be viewed as testable and fruitful hypotheses that, so far, provide the best explanations for language diversification in northern Eurasia.

On some recent claims on Burushaski

“…I hardly know any other language in the world with a word for 'ear' with approximately this structure. As to the first position, it had even been known that Burushaski *lt can be from a lateral affricate *ƛ (Bengtson 2008: 246, Bengtson & Blažek 2011: 41f., Holst 2014a: 143-145, Holst 2017.…”