n ary vs binary lloyd anderson asks nary n greater 2 comparison could ever worse binary consider problem heads tails toss coins chances two coins standing two languages obviously coming e heads tails tossed since four possible outcomes binary toss namely hh ht tt th two come chances 50 consider happens toss three coins standing three languages since coin two sides possible outcome least two coins come chances 2 3 coming would correspond saying let two three languages agree something related 100 means valid test relatedness course wanted 3 3 come situation would drastically different linguistics nary comparison never knowledge involves requirement however reason nary comparison poorly two possible outcomes per language e languages come two varieties b number languages compared small three part one real linguistic applications drastically different little cointossing game since look language relationships looking hundreds thousands maybe even possibilities two looking phonological shapes morphemes mostly allow lots possibilities least thousands real situations alone insures nary comparison better binary also true increase number coins languages b also effect still careful main concern given n languages compared must worry many n required agree making number small chance tends take raises question published work comparing languages explicitly calculates numbers right alexis mr