Albanian sound changes

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 6376
Date: 2001-03-06

Another such case is <zonjë> 'lady' < *wik^a:-potnja:. In case anybody should think that historical linguistics is all sleight of hand or that we're nuts, the change *wik^- > z is really a regular phonological process in Albanian, more or less along the following lines:
 
*wik^- > *wits- (satem affrication) > *wts- (vowel loss) > *tsw- (regular metathesis) > *dzv- (voicing assimilation) > z- (here compare zë/zâ 'voice' < *dzvan- < *g^Hwon-).
 
Hence, for example, -zet '20' < *dzväti < *wtsati: < *wik^mti:
 
The original meaning of <zot> is 'lord', as Miguel explained.
 
zot < *dzvo-pt- < *wtsa:-p(a)t- < *wik^a:-pot-
 
Ain't it seven times better that the unimaginative "surface equation" Zeus = Zot? :))
 
Piotr
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 1:17 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] Re: Albanian connection

>Is it? You mean, like <zet> from *wik^mti:?

Thanks, I was desperately trying to remember the other case of *wik^- > z-, but just couldn't recall or find it.