Re: Non-correspondence of voiceless stops in several IE languages

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com

> > What about the change of kw to t in Greek and Slavic
> > (Greek pente, Slavic pet''). Any ideas?



>
> I can't give details about Slavic, but I do know the change *kW > t

is not

> regular there. There's a later process by which this has happened

in this

> word.
>

Slavic _peNtI_ is a feminine noun derived with the help of the suffix
*-tis. Originally it behaved in all respects like a noun, that is why
numerals over four still take the genitive plural in all (or nearly
all) Slavic languages. The reflex of the labiovelar (*k) has been
regularly lost. It is still present in Lithuanian _penki_ 'five',
penktas 'fifth'; the latter word is identical to Slavic
_peNtU_ 'fifth'.


W.