Re: [tied] kentum and satem

----- Original Message -----
From: Alexander Stolbov
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 12:31 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] kentum and satem


> I formulated my question not enough clear, sorry. I wondered what
classifications we get if we take the criterion of
palatalisation in one case (classification a) or the criterion of
k-collapsing in another case (classification b)? Will both classification
coincide? Or we get something like
> - Illyrian --- kentum (a) satem (b)
> - Phrygian ---- satem (a) kentum (b)
> - Armenian --- satem (a) satem (b) etc.? (Just for example)

The falling together of *k and *kW can occur outside the Satem group as well
(Tocharian is a good example) and therefore cannot be regarded as a
distinctly Satem feature. Nor does the common-or-garden variety of
positional palatalisation (before front vowels) count as Satem, and I
believe what we have in Phrygian is basically just that.

Piotr