ABSTRACT
The comparative method and the method of internal reconstruction are difficult to apply for languages attested only today. For example, if we selected the word horse for its cognates in Indo-European languages today, we would find Germ. Pferd, Dan. hest, Fr. cheval, Gk álogo, all of which are unrelated. If we had no older materials from these and other Indo-European languages, we would be unable to use such a common word and item in the cultures of their speakers to relate the languages.
