Thracian Sounds (was: Terminology (Re: Piotr-))

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski
<piotr.gasiorowski@...> wrote:

> In my opinion, "Grimm's Law" in Thracian is a myth. What we have

good

> evidence for is the aspirated pronunciation of voiceless stops,
> especially of /t/, written <tH> in Greek sources. The aspiration

of /p/

> and /k/ is marked only occasionally, which may mean that it weak

in

> comparison with that of Gk. <pH> and <kH>. Interestingly,

Thracian /p/

> could be be used to substitute Gk. <pH> (<pulpu-> for <pHilippo-
>).
> There are quite a few Thracian onomastic elements with initial <p-
>
> (recorded with Gk. <p>) plausibly assigned to etyma with PIE *p

(not *b,

> of course).

> The Thracian reflexes of *k^ and *g^(H) are spelt <s> and <z>

(zeta);

> their probable phonetic values are /s/ and /z/.

What did Greek <pH>, <tH> and <kH> represent in Greek at the time?
If they represented aspirates, then I think the Classical Athenian
perception of Doric (or at least, Spartan) /tH/ as /s/ rather
than /tH/ may be relevant. This is taken as evidence that [tH] >
[þ] earlier in Sparta than in Athens. Or is this another myth?

Richard.