Re: [tied] Albanian "th"

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 22460
Date: 2003-06-02

----- Original Message -----
From: "alex" <alxmoeller@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 3:50 PM
Subject: [tied] Albanian "th"


> Is there found out from which actualy Albanian "th" derives?
> As far as I could inform myself, there are some thoughts as follow:
> th < PIE *k ( Jokl and Pekmezi)
> th < Latin "s"

Alb. <th> (the spelling indicates a dental fricative, as in English) derives
primarily from Satemised *k^. At the end of roots it may reflect *g^ or *g^H
(the expected voiced fricative <dh> was devoiced word-finally, and the
voiceless sound was often generalised analogically). It may also
occasionally reflect *d or *dH in this position (via <dh>) for reasons that
are a bit too complex to explain here.

<th> for *s occurs in a few words where it is due to dissimilation before
another *s (now often lost). One well-known example is <thanj> 'I dry'
*sausnjo: .

First and foremost, however, it continues PIE *k^.

Piotr