On Sat, 13 Jan 2001 09:57:34 -0000, "petegray"
<
petegray@...> wrote:
>> Both in Latin and in Slavic, the algorithm seems to be: if the verb
>> already has an extension *-a: or *-e:, do nothing, else add *-e:.
>
>The generalisation of -e- in Latin is late. For example, early fourth
>declension forms show -i- on i stems. (This survives into Classical Latin
>in ibat "he was going", and occasional forms in the poets). So any theory
>that had this -e- as an inheritance from PIE must be wrong-headed.
Well, it's indeed possible that audie:bam has its -e:- from capie:bam
and the regular consonant stems. Thanks for pointing that out.
I don't think this is a serious blow to my theory, though, although it
destroys the perfect analogy with Slavic. Provided it's not possible
to have *-ie:- > i: in Latin, we merely have to adjust the "algorithm"
for Latin to include -i(:) besides -a: and -e: as the extensions that
don't require -e:. The -e: is still there in the unmarked category of
plain thematics ("consonant stems"), just as it is in Slavic, and
requires an explanation.
=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...