Re: Grimm shift as starting point of "Germanic"

From: george knysh
Message: 54696
Date: 2008-03-06

--- Patrick Ryan <proto-language@...> wrote:

>
> I will not define myself as a "fine linguist" but I
> can offer an opinion
> which those who are will ratify, I think.
>
> The changes brought about by the Grimm shift are
> indisputable data.
>
> But Germanic can also be identified by the
> vocabulary items unique to it
> that were not inherited (we believe) from (P)IE;
> whether individuals of
> these are pre- or post-Grimm is an interesting
> question.
>
> More difficult is to note grammatical and
> syntactical divergences from what
> we think are PIE patterns, and try to time them.
>
> So far as I know, no one has successfully identified
> one or more languages
> which might have had these effects on what was to
> become Germanic.
>
>
> Patrick
>
> ***

****GK: So Grimm, unique vocabulary items, grammatical
and syntactical divergences, are all "indisputable
data" and there is no certainty in the timing of any
of these?****
>
>



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