I think this review [1] put it best: It goes without saying that an etymological dictionary of a non-existing language family is a paradoxon, to say the least.

I think this review [1] put it best: It goes without saying that an etymological dictionary of a non-existing language family is a paradoxon, to say the least. One possible way out of this is of course the conclusion that the family is after all real and that the existence of a work like this is the best proof of this fact. On the other hand, a quite different conclusion would be that there could after all be such a thing as a full scale 3-volume lexical reconstruction of a proto-language, which indeed never existed. The full scale 3-volume lexical reconstruction of a proto-language, which indeed never existed can be downloaded here.[2]. [1] https://www.academia.edu/1629982/Review_of_Sergei_Starostin_Anna_Dybo_and_Oleg_Mudrak_eds._Etymological_Dictionary_of_the_Altaic_Languages_2003_ https://www.academia.edu/1629982/Review_of_Sergei_Starostin_... [2] http://s155239215.onlinehome.us/turkic/40_Language/Starostinetymological_dictionary_of_altaic_languages.pdf http://s155239215.onlinehome.us/turkic/40_Language/Starostin...