Re: [tied] *kap-

Grzegorz Jagodzinski wrote:

> As I have already written, the null-grade form (C)VC roots tended to be
> eliminated in such or another way. And I do not think that all CVC-jo/e-
> presents have the vowel -a- in Latin (perhaps two initial consonants
> prevented the change e > a in Latin, it is really interesting problem which
> should be thoroughfully analyzed). So, when you speak about 10%-20%, do you
> mean PIE *-je- presents from roots of different structures?

I mean the "plain" -je- presents, i.e. default duratives usually
corresponding to root aorists, cf. aor.inj. *gWém-t, pres. *gWm.-jé-ti.
According to the statistics I have seen in Meier-Brügger (based on the
LIV), there are about a hundred securely reconstructed durative stems
like *gWm.-jé/ó- and about twenty like *spék^-je/o-. The latter can be
associated with Narten-type roots, as are the long-vowelled causatives
with root accent like *swó:p-je/o-.

> I would like to
> know if there are full grade *-je- presents from "ablautable" roots (i.e.
> from roots which has reduced or null grades in other forms).

Well, we have *nék^-je/o- (Skt. nás'yati 'perish', the nil grade od the
root attested in Celtic), *h2árh3-je/o- 'plough'... I'm sure there are
others but I'm quoting off the top of my head and with no books to hand.
I may be back with more examples.

> And even if
> there are, from where are you taking your conviction that *kap-jo/e- belongs
> to this small 10%-20% group?

The Germanic accentuation of the verb. Unlike Sanskrit (and Greek!),
pre-Verner Proto-Germanic preserved the original accent, and,
fortunately, we have a voiceless stop at the end of *kap-. Actually, LIV
analyses capio: as *kh2p-je/o-, placing it among the 80-90% majority,
but I happen to disagree with this particular analysis for reasons
already laid out.

> Btw. what is the explanation for such strange verbal forms with stressed
> reduced/null grade?

In Sanskrit? I'm not sure what the orthodox explanation is, but
contrastive accent (emphasising the difference between ordinary -ya-
duratives and passives) seems to be a possibility. Other members will
perhaps know more about that.

Piotr