Frontmatter -- PREFACE -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- LIST OF TABLES -- 1. INTRODUCTION -- 2. PROTOLANGUAGES AND PROBLEMS OF RECONSTRUCTION -- 3. THE RANKING OF PROTOLANGUAGES AND PROBLEMS OF COMPARISON AT DEEPER LEVELS -- 4. PROBLEMS OF CLASSIFICATION -- 5. PREHISTORY AND DIFFUSION -- APPENDIX: AMERICAN INDIAN LANGUAGES AND HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX