Tim May wrote:
>John Cowan writes:
>  > Florian Rivoal scripsit:
>  >
>  > > How can the case of english in USA, or latin in western europe
>  > > be similar to PIE? Those two are conveyed by One single civilisation
>or
>  > > empire. the whole area is influence by one culture. Was there such a
>  > > Proto-indo-european empire reigning over an area as vast as the whole
>  > > indo european area?
>  >
>  > No.  More likely, the PIE-speakers had high technology of some sort
>  > (perhaps the horse and war chariot, perhaps bronze metallurgy) that
>  > allowed them to dominate their neighbors and spread out.  There surely
>  > never was a vast Eurasian empire: rather, they moved outward from the
>  > point of origin, conquering as they went -- but *not* staying in touch
>  > with their relatives who went in other directions.
>
>There go my plans to found a "Campaign for the Reunification of
>Proto-Indo-Europe".

Since when do that kind of ventures need a foundation in actual or even
probable history?

Speaking of the spread of IE langs, searching for "Colin Renfrew" should
introduce you to a theory that IE was rather spread by early farmers than by
warlike western steppe nomads. Less popular, and very probably less likely
(like I could tell!), but interesting nonetheless.

                                                     Andreas

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