Re: PIE initial *a

Patrick:

Mauvais comme d'habitude, Arnaud.

I "allege" nothing!!!

I am citing Pokorny's reconstructions. Take it up with his spirit.

I have never said or written that "*a is the same as *e and *o".

I have explained, over and over, that pre-PIE had four pure vowels:

*e:, *a:, *o:, *A

PIE *a, as I also have explained at least a dozen times, results from a
shortening of *a: due to the Law of Phonological Entropy; and that pre-PIE
unlengthened *a was _not_ preserved.

You will never subscribe to my Theory but at least, try to understand it,
will you?

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Could you please direct me to the cybalist message that explains your Theory?  What I don't understand is what conditions would produce the change */a:/ > /a/ and which ones would preserve /a:/ (and whether a new contrastive relationship between /a/ and /a:/ would arise perhaps from /a/ of other origin).

Andrew