Re: [tied] Re: -i, -u

From: enlil@...
Message: 33819
Date: 2004-08-20

Torsten:
> Another thing:
> 3rd sg active -ti , -i locative?
> 3rd sg m./pass. -tor -er locative?

Mediopassive *-tor is analogically based on the previous form *-or. The
former is built on the present endings like *-t(i), the latter and more
ancient form on the perfect *-e. So, *-or is the result of *-e +
mediopassive marker *-r. How does that work? Simple, if you've been
following my theory.

You have MIE *-e in the 3ps perfect. It is reduced to eLIE *-a after
Syncope. This unaccented *a ultimately becomes *o before a voiced
consonant but without that voicing stimulus, it becomes *-e. So in the
3ps perfect, we naturally see eLIE *-a > *-e but in the mediopassive
eLIE *-a-r becomes *-or. The same pattern is in thematic vocatives with
*-e, while having *-o- elsewhere. This again is the result of an earlier
homogeneous unstressed *a being later differentiated as either *e or *o.


> I'm unable to formulate a full theory at this point, though.

It's been found. Don't fret one minute more :)


= gLeN