Re: [tied] Re: Black Athena: The Afroasiatic RootsofClassicalCivili

From: P&G
Message: 44898
Date: 2006-06-07

Alas, in the development of Greek I do not see many of the changes that you claim have occurred after contact with Semitic peoples..
 
You mention:
 
> -Definite article
Greek had the definite article 1500 BC.  This is a bit earlier than the contact you seem to suggest.  At least a thousand years earlier.
 
> -Preprositions instead of cases or postpositions
Greek retained its cases in the katherevousa, and still has three (or four depending how you count) in the demotike.
 
> -Two genders - masculine and feminine
Greek retains three genders.
 
> -Word order: SVO/VSO instead of old IE SOV.
Here is the only change which occurs as you say, at the time you suggest.  Unfortunately, we have a good guess what caused it - see G Horrocks "Greek: a history of the language and its speakers" page 59-60.  Though there is still debate, and you could put your theory forward.

> -Attributs after their head
The natural place of an adjective in modern Greek is before the noun, not after.  Same in Classical.
    o oraios antras  = the handsome man.

> -Loss of flexional comparative and
superlative,
Greek retains the flexional comperative, and the superlative is based on it.
 
There just seems no evidence, Aquila, for what you suggest.
 
Peter