From: Rick McCallister
Message: 59106
Date: 2008-06-07
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister...
> <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
> >
> > --- tgpedersen <tgpedersen@...> wrote:
> > ...
> > > Here are the relevant lines on this phenomemnon
> in
> > > Basque from Trask;
> > > The History of Basque, pp. 129-130
> > >
> > > 'In native words, of course, the
> reinterpretation left only voiced
> > > plosives in initial position. Hence we find
> plenty of ancient
> > > native words throughout the country with forms
> like bizi 'alive',
> >
> > Could bizi be from Celtic or some W IE language?
>
> It looks pretty obvious. Trask doesn't mention the
> possibility, but he
> wouldn't, would he? It does alternate with the
> 'illegal' p- in anlaut
> in the manner of other loans, eg.
> piztu/biztu "ignite"
> piztia "wild animal"
>