CDR: Re: Treatment of subjugated people (and bagpipes)

At 04:24 PM 9/4/00 -0400, Ray Dillinger wrote:

Deciphering an unknown langauge, not related to known languages, when it is written in an unknown script is a feat of linguistics that transcends mere cryptanalysis and has, so far, rarely or never been done.

Don't the linguists typically rely on a major crib (e.g., the Rosetta stone)?