Re: [tied] Vrddhi in sigmatic aorist

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 10735
Date: 2001-10-30

I can't offer a well-founded opinion on it. If you want me to speculate -- maybe some kind of "e-infix" in the present tense compensating for the immobility of stress in this type of aorist. At any rate, I wouldn't accept any solution that doesn't explain the athematic "Narten presents" at the same time (the *té:k^s-ti : *ték^s-enti type), and if it explained vowel alternations in Hittite conjugations as well I'd know it to be _the_ solution.
 
Piotr
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Sergejus Tarasovas
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 11:49 AM
Subject: [tied] Vrddhi in sigmatic aorist

A question to Piotr.
In your exposé on the PIE verb
(www.geocities.com/caraculiambro/Caraculiambro/Verbs.html) you write:

'For example, the root *bHer- `carry' is inherently durative, so the
preterite *bhér-e-t (corresponding to the present *bHér-e-ti `he
carries') means `he was carrying'. To express a completed action, one
would use a specially marked aorist form, in this case *bHé:r-s-t `he
carried, lifted' (a so-called sigmatic aorist). ... gWHen- ... aorist
*gWHé:n-s-.'

You don't express your opinion on the reasons of the root vowel
lenghthening in the sigmatic aorist 3sg. Merely phonetic lenghthening
of a stressed /e/ before a sonorant or glide in closed syllables?
Additional morphonemic marker of the sigmatic aorist? Anything else?