Re: [tied] Metathesis - The armchair linguist's favourite tool

----- Original Message -----

From: markodegard@...

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 2:10 PM

Subject: Re: [tied] Metathesis - The armchair linguist's favourite tool

--- In cybalist@......, "proto-language" <proto-language@......> wrote:

>Møller's notational conventions are a bit off-putting but he
certainly anticipated Lehmann's "syllabicity" stage of IE by
reconstructing bases for IE without indicated vowels: e.g. bh-l-,
'break out'.

[MO]
'Syllabicity'. This seems to be one of those items like RSP Beekes'
notion that PIE lacked [a]. Everybody smiles behind the Great Man's
back, allowing him a few eccentricities for the sake of his otherwise
brilliant observations.

[PCR]

Well, perhaps Lehmann would be pleased with this left-handed compliment.

However, he put this idea out in the 50's, and I know that he still supports it, inspite of its lack of general acceptance.

 

I believe that it is the only reasonable explanation of *e/*o Ablaut, and if you think that "eccentric", why not tell me why?

 

As for Beekes, I am not aware of that view but I would be prepared to defend the idea that everything that appears as /a/ in PIE goes back to an even earlier /a:/.

 

 

Pat

 

PATRICK C. RYAN | PROTO-LANGUAGE@...
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