From: Dennis Poulter
Message: 3102
Date: 2000-08-13
----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Verhaegen <marc.verhaegen@...>
To: <cybalist@egroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, 12 August, 2000 9:51 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Re: Gimbutas.
> Thanks, Peter. I think Piotr will give some comments within a few days.
> Germanic pronunciation seems to have changed more than most IE languages.
> Perhaps this was one of the reasons why they developed the weak
conjugation,
> to make the conjugation of less frequently used verbs more regular? But
yes,
> their declension kept a lot of PIE. If they had left the "homeland" much
> earlier than 3000 BC, wouldn't we expect to see more changes?
>
> Marc
>
>
I read somewhere that one possible consequence of the glottalic theory for
PIE is that Germanic could be seen as preserving most faithfully the
original phonological system of PIE. In addition, given the parallels in
Germanic and Hittite grammar, these two could reflect more faithfully the
original grammar of PIE, and that the developments in Greek, Sanskrit etc.
should be seen as the innovations.
If this is so, it changes the focus. Perhaps PIE originated in Europe,
extended eastwards to the steppes, underwent an evolution there and then
speakers of this modified "Steppe" IE then migrated westwards again.
Thus, the substratum of IE in Europe would be an earlier variety of the same
language. Perhaps, in this way one could explain how IE imposed itself on
the European population.
Just a thought.
Cheers
Dennis