Time depth, convergence theory, and innovation in Proto-Indo-European: "Old Europe' as a PIE linguistic area

In this paper the language/farming dispersal hypothesis for the distributio n of the Indo-European languages is revisited, taking into account recent w ork in historical linguistics in the field of convergence theory, and recen t re-evaluations concerning the place of the Anatolian languages within the Indo-European family. The importance of time-depth within Proto-Indo-Europ ean is stressed, and the possibilities of regions where a real convergence will have taken place is underlined. It is proposed that one such convergen ce area during the later neolithic and chalcolithic periods was the region originally defined by Marija Gimbutas as "Old Europe', although she would n ot have been happy with the proposal that this represents already a develop ed phase of Proto-Indo-European. An outline of the internal relationships a mong the subfamilies of the Indo-European language family is offered, on th e basis of the historical scenario adopted. It is suggested that this view may conform more effectively with the family relationships within Indo-Euro pean than have earlier proposals.