Re: [tied] Twenty.

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 6777
Date: 2001-03-26

In the posting that started this exchange I should have written, "The composition form of 'two' is *dwi- (sometimes *wi-)". Sorry.
 
The compositive variant of "two" was originally *dwi- (= Latin bi-, Sanskrit dvi-), as in *dwi-pód- 'two-footed', but at least in the numeral "20" it was reduced to *wi- early enough for this form to be inherited by most branches. I think the compound element *wi- 'apart, asunder, in two', as in *wi-tero- 'opposite, distant' and *wi-dH(e)h1- 'divide, separate' may go back to *dwi- as well. A different result of (much later) cluster reduction is visible in dis- < *dwis-, with a very similar meaning. The form *dwi- is of uncertain origin -- either analogical to *tri- or produced by some archaic alternation like *du-o-/*du-i- (cf. kW-o-/*kW-i- in pronouns).
 
*wi(:)k^mti: possibly resulted from a conflation of two types of decad formation coexisting in PIE: the noun phrase "two tens" *du-o-ih1 d(e)k^mt-ih1 (*-ih1 is the dual ending of PIE neuters) and the compound "2-decad" *wi-(d)k^omt- (with a neuter collective as the second element). Similarly for other decads: *tri-h2 d(e)k^mt-ah2 or *tri-(d)k^omt-, with a variety of mixed forms.
 
Piotr
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: markodegard@...
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 5:08 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] The centum-word.

> Check the numeral "twenty", Mark.
>
> Piotr


I had, and did again. Yes. Indeed: the twenty-word begins with wi-.

EIEC says it's a dual.

I would not recognize a dual. I did not get that far in Greek. Is this
why I am being obtuse?

Please, Piotr: explain. All the two-words and related prefixes really
do begin 'dw'.