Eo Ipso – Automated Internal Reconstruction

Abstract

This volume aims to contribute to the study into the method of internal reconstruction of ancient language stages in two particular ways. Firstly, it seeks to give texture to the theoretical aspects of internal reconstruction, including its problems and basic requirements. The second part deals with the machine implementation of internal‑reconstruction methods. Different methods that have been proposed in the literature are presented and their suitability for an adequate computational implementation is discussed. The emphasis is set on the phonological reconstruction of sound change. In total, six different methods are implemented with German and Proto‑Indo‑European data. The results of the automated internal reconstruction are evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively against a gold-standard.