Animate Dual in -h3 (was: IE Roots)

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

>
>
> Miguel:
> >Yes, it must be *-oh3, or at least a labialized laryngeal. The

NA form

> >varies in Skt. between -a: and -a:u. The same /u/ appears in the

genitive

> >*-ous (< *-&3-s) and locative *-ou (*-&3-u < *-xW-i), as well as

in the

> >Greek o-stem oblique form -oiin < -oiun (*-oy-&3-m).
>
> You're going to have to distinguish between your own theories and
> reality. I assume you're talking about paradigms like that of

*okto:u

> "eight" and *dwo:u "two" where there is no clear evidence in favour
> of *h3. These roots are not normally reconstructed this way because
> most other people favour Occam's Razor as a valuable principle of

logic.

> It is more economical to reconstruct a long vowel *o: here.

He's talking about animate duals in general, and mostly about
Sanskrit. I must admit I had to refer back to
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/14994> for the
locative dual.

Richard.