The linguistic value of the Wallace line

Abstract

It is well known that reconstructed vocabulary can be of value in determining the center of dispersal ('homeland') of a language family.1 It is also commonly recognized that the level of assignment (chrono logical value) of reconstructed vocabulary is dependent on the sub grouping of the languages compared. In particular, a linguistic feature can safely be attributed to the common ancestor of a collection of lan guages only if it is attested in at least two primary branches of that collection, and is not likely to result from borrowing or convergence. We might thus say that the chronological value of a lexical reconstruc tion is a consequence of our subgrouping assumptions (Fig. 1):

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