On Tue, 22 Apr 2003, Glen Gordon wrote:
>
> Jens:
> >The i-forms are rather plainly originally enclitics. For
> >reasons I do not understand it appears that *kWi-/*kWe- means
> >'what', while stable *kWo- means 'who'.
>
> I don't understand either. *kWis is "who?" and *kWid is "what?"
> both using *kWi-... What were you trying to say? In the stem
> *kWo-tero-, *kWo- appears to mean "what" or "which" as in
> "which way?". Again, I fail to see what you meant.
I am reporting the quintessence of careful analyses that take any
non-trivial recurring opposition seriously. Basically, I have it from
Rix's Historical Greek Grammar (1976, haven't seen the new edition). The
salient pieces of evidence are just about as follows:
1. OCS kU-to 'who' : c^I-to 'what' reflect *kWos : *kWid
2. Gathic Avestan has gen.sg. masc. kahiia : ntr. c^ahiia.
3. Armenian has gen. oyr, instr. um 'who' : e:r, im 'what'
In these forms, there is a back vowel in 'who' opposed to a front vowel in
'what'. I have written some bla-bla-bla about what to make of it, but
this part convinces me just as little as any of it does Miguel. I do not
quite know what to make of it. It fits nothing I know.
Jens