--- Piotr Gasiorowski <
gpiotr@...> wrote:
> On 2006-08-27 20:43, Sean Whalen wrote:
>
> > In Welsh *sw>xw; In Avestan *sw>xw>xW; in Armenian
> > *sw>xw>kHw>kH. It makes more sense to say s>x
> first
> > (also needed for other environments) instead of
> s>h
> > and h>x independently before w (and other
> positions in
> > Avestan and Ossetian) in all.
>
> What's your evidence for *x in "other environments"?
*s>x>X (uv.) in Ossetian (not just before w)
*s>x for *dex/de: in P-Celtic
*s>x>kH in some Armenian environments (even if you
don't believe in intermediate *x take it as "other
evidence for velarization of s")
Also, s>s.; no s.>x>h in Ir.; but the opp. (s.>x)
in Slavic.
> Before /w/ and /j/
> the assimilation of the /h/ to the glide is a
> trivial development,
It's certainly possible, but in three separate
branches? If that were the only place showing
h>x(>kH) in those branches that would be acceptable
but h>x appears elsewhere if you assume s>h directly.
It seems more likely that as the back x/x^/xW (H)
weakened and disappeared s moved back in some
environments in several branches. The change x>h not
h>x is better at explaining the distribution.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com