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From: rwojcik@bcsaic.UUCP (Rick Wojcik)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Degenerate Lang Learning Experiment
Message-ID: <2776@bcsaic.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Nov-87 11:44:54 EST
Article-I.D.: bcsaic.2776
Posted: Mon Nov 16 11:44:54 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Nov-87 22:12:36 EST
References: <2273@k.cc.purdue.edu>
Reply-To: rwojcik@bcsaic.UUCP (Rick Wojcik)
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle
Lines: 14

In article <2273@k.cc.purdue.edu> m0p@k.cc.purdue.edu (S. Kulikowski) writes:
>
> ...[description of ancient Egyptian experiment to determine first language]...
>  i wish i could give you a reference to this experiment....
> ...  i would love to track down the primary reference
>from antiquity.  this seems like a pretty  sophisticated  experimental  design
>for a culture as old as the pharonic dynasties.
>                                               stan

The primary reference is Herodotus.  A good secondary source is Fromkin
and Rodman's An Introduction to Language.  Actually, many introductory
linguistics texts cite this as an amusing anecdote to historical
misconceptions about language.  If such an experiment ever took place,
it is also a comment on the brutality of ancient cultures.