> In what way does a satem branch language show an "original k"
> (outside of the etymological dictionaries, of course) and how would I
> tell the difference from an "original *s"?
> Torsten
An original *k survives in satem languages.
An original *k' appears in Skt and Lith as a /S/ in contrast to an original
*s.
An original *s appears in Skt & Lith as /s/.
If you find a centum root with k/s alternation, which you suspect is from
*k', satemised then desatemised, it is very easy to check from the satem
languages whether (a) the original had *k' or *k (in which case it would not
have been satemised) (b) whether forms with both /s/ and /S/ are found in
Skt or Lith, (in which case we have two original roots).
The only acceptable case for your argument would be when Skt and Lith show
only /S/ forms, and no satem language shows a /k/ form.
Peter