3. In Samoan, words may have two forms, one called “bad speech” (used when addressing…

3. In Samoan, words may have two forms, one called “bad speech” (used when addressing peers or kin) and another called “good speech” (used with chiefs or strangers in literary and religious situations). The difference between the two forms can be described by phonological rules. There are two possibilities here. One is that the “good” forms originated first, and the “bad” ones developed from them. The other is that the “bad” forms originated first, and the “good” forms developed from them. Based on the differences between all of these words, you can smoke out whether the “good” forms came first or the “bad” ones did. That is, there is a way of describing the difference between the two forms — you have to decide whether it goes from “good” to “bad” or the other way — in one clean stroke that explains everything and leaves no hairs out of place. What is that way? You can use words, rather than formalism, to describe it — but just describe it.