An old question

[D.H. Killingley]

Jacob's contribution is an interesting pointer to how we might find
subtler criteria than 'living' vs. 'dead', but there are still
complications.

If a Tamil speaker uses voiced/voiceless and aspirated/unaspirated
oppositions in pronouncing stops in Tamil, could they not be said to have
a 'Sanskrit accent?'

The pair 'father-tongue/mother tongue' (for which Jacob was not
responsible) carries unwelcome implications that high culture belongs to
males, popular culture to females.

Dr Dermot Killingley
Dept of Religious Studies
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU
Phone 0191 222 6730    Fax 0191 222 5185