In most cases, they dealt with words and functional elements, creating what are called reconstructions in hypothetical family prototypes called, variously, Proto-Latin, Proto-Greek, Proto-Germanic, Proto-Indo-Iranian, and so forth, the ultimate goal being to posit a single language called Proto-Indo-European.
( ( In ( most cases ) ) ( , ( they ( ( ( ( dealt ( with ( ( words and ) ( functional elements ) ) ) ) , ) ( creating ( ( what ( are ( ( called reconstructions ) ( in ( ( hypothetical ( family prototypes ) ) ( ( called , ) variously ) ) ) ) ) ) ( , ( ( ( ( ( Proto-Latin ( , ( Proto-Greek ( , ( Proto-Germanic ( , ( Proto-Indo-Iranian , ) ) ) ) ) ) ) and ) ( so forth ) ) , ) ( ( the ( ultimate goal ) ) ( being ( to ( posit ( ( a ( single language ) ) ( called Proto-Indo-European ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) ) )
(ROOT (S (PP (IN In) (NP (JJS most) (NNS cases))) (, ,) (NP (PRP they)) (VP (VBD dealt) (PP (IN with) (NP (NP (NNS words)) (CC and) (NP (JJ functional) (NNS elements)))) (, ,) (S (VP (VBG creating) (NP (SBAR (WHNP (WP what)) (S (VP (VBP are) (VP (VBN called) (NP (NNS reconstructions)) (PP (IN in) (NP (NP (JJ hypothetical) (NN family) (NNS prototypes)) (VP (VBN called) (, ,) (ADVP (RB variously))))))))) (, ,) (NP (NNP Proto-Latin) (, ,) (NNP Proto-Greek) (, ,) (NNP Proto-Germanic) (, ,) (NNP Proto-Indo-Iranian) (, ,)) (CC and) (ADVP (RB so) (RB forth)) (, ,) (NP (NP (DT the) (JJ ultimate) (NN goal)) (VP (VBG being) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB posit) (NP (NP (DT a) (JJ single) (NN language)) (VP (VBN called) (S (ADJP (JJ Proto-Indo-European)))))))))))))) (. .)))
Proto-Germanic was posited as a hypothetical language family prototype.
( Proto-Germanic ( ( was ( posited ( as ( a ( hypothetical ( language ( family prototype ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (NNP Proto-Germanic)) (VP (VBD was) (VP (VBN posited) (PP (IN as) (NP (DT a) (JJ hypothetical) (NN language) (NN family) (NN prototype))))) (. .)))