Re: [tied] Diphthong Distributions

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

>
> On 2006-10-04 06:35, etherman23 wrote:
>
> > I was looking at some PIE roots today and noticed some interesting
> > distributions of diphthongs.
> >
> > 1) Roots in *tei- are nonexistent
>
> Isn't this an accidental gap? There are several roots in *dei- and
> *dHei-,

That's a distinct possibility. At first I had hoped there'd be no
roots in *dei and *dHei, but there are. If *d < *t' and *dH < *tH then
perhaps the ejectivity and aspiration prevented the assibilation. Or
maybe they can be explained as early borrowings. I haven't looked at
that possibility and wouldn't seriously put it forward without finding
a good number of extant candidates.

> and it remains to be proved that in *(s)tei- roots with s-mobile
> the s-forms are older.

Indeed. If s-mobile is young then my theory goes down the tubes
(unless I want to explain the contradictory roots as back formations).

> > 4) Roots in *gW(H)eu-/*kWeu-/k'weu- are nonexistent
>
> How about the 'cow' word?

That has o-vocalism which I've excluded from my analysis. However,
distribution of those diphthongs may also prove interesting (some
cases could perhaps be explained by the presence of H3 which could
conceivably prevent the dissimilation).