The following exchange has recently appeared on another list, and
given the subject matter I wondered whether it would be worth posting
here for responses.
<<Q. If a noun is of a given gender in Old Irish. must it be so in
other Indo-European languages?
A. Not on the evidence of "dét" (tooth), which is neuter in OI,
while Skt. "danta" and Latin "dens, dentis" are both masculine. On
the other hand, there is often agreement: ainmm (OI), nomen (Lat.)
and nâman (Skt.) are all neuter, while ech, equus, and asva are all
three masculine.
OI "cride" (heart) and Lat. "cor, cordis" are both neuter, but Greek
"kardía" is fem. But the Greek word historically has a -yâ suffix,
while the Latin does not, so are they really the "same" noun?
An Indo-Europeanist, which I emphatically am not, could give us all a
better answer, I'm sure -- provided they're not all currently out of
station, as they say in India.>>
Best wishes,
Gordon Selway
<
gordonselway@...>