Re: [tied] Diminutive Formation

From: Sean Whalen
Message: 48138
Date: 2007-03-31

--- Sean Whalen <stlatos@...> wrote:

> --- Sean Whalen <stlatos@...> wrote:

> > Therefore, kógkhos may come from a dim. formed
> > from
> > *kón-x-mós 'bent part of the leg' which would show
> > 'little bent thing > spiral shell' (in PIE?).

> This has to do with the rules for forming dim.
> with
> kó+ and Ló+ in late PIE. The main rules are:
>
> a > 0 / []_[dim]
> y/w > 0 / C_[dim]
> y/w/R/N > 0 / i/u/C+syl_[dim] (repeat)
>
> Dim. from i/u-stems usually restore the i/u if
> they
> were ever affected by the first rule. The next two
> probably aren't from sound changes, but just an
> attempt to regularize forms that had very unusual
> alternations in the norm and dim. forms.

Indeed, they are definitely not regular since I've
found at least one example of the older form (with
obscuring metathesis).

> This means that *xWoikós wasn't an alternate for
> *xWoinós formed with a different suffix. It was
> actually the diminutive 'little alone thing, all
> alone, etc.' *xWoikós also gained a more
> regularized
> form *xWoine/akós later.
>
> *xWoinós 'alone > only, one, etc.' >>
> *xWoikós 'all alone, etc.'

The old dim. was *xWoinó+Ló+s > *xWoinLós.

xWoinLós
xWoinóLs
xWoinó:L

Thus *xWoinó:L > Lith vienuolis, OIr óenur, but
*xWoinakós > Greek *oinakhós > monakhós, OIr óenach
'assembly, fair'.





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