Re: Indo-Iranian Vowel Collapse (was: IIr 2nd Palatalisation)

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...>
wrote:

>
> tgpedersen wrote:
>
> > calf:
> > cognates in Germanic.
> > with other ablaut grade
> > ags. cilfor-lamb etc
> >
> > further Gallic > Latin galba "belly"
> >
> > with deviant ablaut *gW for *g
> >
> > Greek delphús, dólphos etc
> > Skt. gárbha-
> >
> > Is it safe to conclude that this is inherited Germanic, given the
> > deviant alternate root? The only non-Germanic form from PIE *g-
> > is not safely Latin, so that is not evidence.
>
> The regularly formed nominal derivatives from this 'womb/young
> animal' root in IE are as follows:
>
> (1) the u-stems *gWl.bH-u-/*gWelbH-u-
> (2) the o-stem *gWolbH-o-
> (3) the es-stem *gWelbH-es- (nom. gWelbH-os)
>
> but the actual reflexes often show a good deal of cross-
> contamination, including vocalism "borrowed" from related forms
> with the same or similar meaning.

It seems to me that there was a root *gWelbh- 'to birth (of animals)'
and that the derivatives we see are deverbal forms. From what we
know, #1 would be an adjectival form; #2 would be a passive deverbal
noun (i.e. 'that which is born'); and #3 would be a resultative
deverbal noun (i.e. 'the result of a birth').

> The delabialisation of *gW in pre-Germanic is at least half-regular
> before *o other than the thematic vowel, so *kalb-a- is not
> deviant. The delabialised *k was generalised, infecting stems like
> *kilb-iz- < *gWelbH-es-; on the other hand, the vocalism of *kalb-a-
> is found in the mixed -es-stem *kalb-iz- (OE cealf, pl. cealfru).

A couple off-topic things:
1. Why is the Modern English word 'calf' and not *chealf (pl.
*chealver)?
2. Is Modern English 'child, children' an es-stem (*kild-iz-, pl.
*kild-iz-o:) as well?

- Rob