Re: [tied] -hi, -mi

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...> wrote:

> I think Jasanoff's line of reasoning is that it's futile to search
> for the common origin of Hittite hi-conjugation, perfect, middle and
> thematic 1st sg in any of those categories themselves, so I think he
> would reject your question. But if I may rephrase it, I might have
> an answer: the Germanic preterito-presentic verbs show that that
> common paradigm (whatever one chooses to call it) existed in use as
> present tense.

Of course it's futile to solve problems the wrong way. The hi-
inflection continues the perfect, so they have the same origin. The
middle voice is something else, and the 1sg thematic is totally
unrelated (obscure or from *-o-m-i or its expected prestage by obscure
rules). It was never in doubt that the perfect could have present
meaning; that belongs to common knowledge. As far as Hittite is
concerned the hi-conjugation endings only continue the perfect
directly in the preterite. We know many things about PIE which we do
not find retained in Hittite, so what?

Jens