A clarification (D. Sinor)

[N. Ganesan]

Sn. Subrahmanya wrote earlier:
>>>But, let me give the next best thing -- a quote

>>>"....But, the most powerful reason which has kept this
>>> theory [i.e IE homeland] alive is that the vast majority
>>>of the scholars interested in the subject were Europeans,
>>>and the idea that their ancestors could have come from
>>>another region simply did not occur to them.......
>>>Perhaps the time has come to wrench 'Indo European'
>>>prehistory out of the century old scholarly ruts......"

>>>Pretty strong indictment, eh ?
>>>Guess...who wrote it ?

   In a later message, Sn. Subrahmanya solved the query he posed:
   <<<<
   New archeological and linguistic data are now available which
   have to be taken into consideration. The views of Indian scholars
   are as important as anyone else. So, an open mind is needed to
   look at all possibilities.

   The only people who will lose something are those academics
   who have projected themselves as scholars on India and
   have dissertations,papers and books that wont be worth anything.
   That is a great personal loss - and a great reason to
   keep the status quo going. `

   Anyway, the quote that I gave in the previus message was Denis
Sinor's.
   >>>>

Lars Fosse wrote a reply:
<<<<
> But, let me give the next best thing -- a quote
>
> "....But, the most powerful reason which has kept this
>  theory [i.e IE homeland] alive is that the vast majority
> of the scholars interested in the subject were Europeans,
> and the idea that their ancestors could have come from
> another region simply did not occur to them.......
> Perhaps the time has come to wrench 'Indo European'
> prehistory out of the century old scholarly ruts......"

LMF: Unfortunately, the quote (whoever said it) contains an error: To
begin
LMF: with, Europeans thought that the Indo-Europeans came from somewhere
LMF: in Asia. A party was in favour of the Hindu Kush. Others claimed
LMF: the point of origin would be somewhere in Asia north of the
Himalayas.
LMF: It is only in the second half of this century that Asia is "out"
LMF: and Eurasia "in".

> Pretty strong indictment, eh ?
> Guess...who wrote it ?

LMF: However strong the indictment, it is not born out by the facts.
LMF: So, whoever wrote it did not have a good day :-)
>>>>


      Did some checking from old boxes.

      Denis Sinor is NOT an Indo-Europeanist. In fact, I have not
      seen a single citation by Denis Sinor on IE linguistics.
      Because he is not an Indo-Europeanist, it is only natural
      that he makes mistakes.

      Sinor has a lifelong interest in seeing how the West
      learned about the East from medieval times. I have:
      1) D. Sinor, Western information on the Kitans and some
      related questions. JAOS, 1995
      2) D. Sinor, Foreigner-Barbarian-Monster
      in Th. Bowie, East-West in art, Indiana UP, 1966.

      Regards,
      N. Ganesan






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