Why does reconstructing Proto-Germanic from extant Germanic languages using the comparative method yield only approximations of the original phonology?

💡 Explanation

Proto-language reconstruction is imperfect because sound laws, while generally regular, exhibit exceptions due to analogy and other factors, such as language contact. Therefore, reconstruction produces an approximation rather than a perfect replica of the proto-language, because regular sound change is the primary, but not the exclusive, force shaping language evolution.

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