Re: [tied] bh:p-l:r-

--- In cybalist@..., "Glen Gordon" <glengordon01@...> wrote:

> Torsten:
> >>>That p/w thing intrigues me.
>
> Me (gLeN):
> >>It shouldn't. It specifically involves the Hattic language. It
> >>has nothing to do with IE, AfroAsiatic or the lost language of
> >>Mu.
>
> Torsten then characteristically misinterprets:
> >And what is that then supposed to mean?
> >
> >If there is alternation in a language ("specically involving that
> >language"), either form can be borrowed into another language. That
> >much should be obvious.
>
> What's obvious is that you misread completely. This alternation
> is in the WRITING system and probably is *not* a real phonemic
> alternation. So, the written /pil/, /pel/, /wil/ and /wel/
> may simply reflect different spellings of *[fEl] with a bilabial
> fricative that can't be written in Akkadian-derived cuneiform!!
> Canadians write "favour" while Americans write "favor" and yet
> this has absolutely nothing to do with pronunciation and more
> to do with arbitrary spelling preferences.
>
> Torsten asks permission to quote:
> >Allow me a quote:
> >
> >"And yes, there apparently is even p/w alternation for the word

for "house"

> >(pil, pel, wil, wel). Some p-words don't exhibit the
> >alternation in written Hattic, some do. The "house" word does."
>
> Exactly what I said: Some p-words exhibit the alternation... That
> is, the words that start with *[f] show this p/w alternation in
> the writing system. The p-words that don't exhibit the alternation
> begin with a true [p]. Get it now?
>
> Another example, the word for "child" is written both
> /pinu/ and /inu/. This is probably because the word is in fact
> *finu. The word exists in the name of the god Telepinu, or
> rather *Telefinu. If you can build upa case for a pronunciation
> like **Telewinu, I'd be interested (and très shocked).
>
> Methinks those wordlists you collect are frying your mind. Take
> a rest, Mr Joseph Greenberg 2.0.
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> gLeNny gEe

I am pleased to hear that you have found a native informant on Hattic.

Torsten