Language Divergence and Estimated Word Retention Rate
Isidore Dyen, Alan T. James, J. W. L. Cole · Language · 1967
Preliminary estimates of language divergence and word retention have been obtained by means of a log log transform from data consisting of the determinations of cognations in the lexicostatistical lists of Austronesian languages. Corrections have been obtained to the preliminary estimates by a maximum likelihood estimation method which assigns appropriate scores to represent the weight of evidence contributed by each determination of cognation.