Re: [tied] PIE Stop System

From: P&G
Message: 25824
Date: 2003-09-15

I have been doing a little more hunting on voiceless aspirates.
There are only 4 that are supported by both Greek and Skt, one of those a
Lall-word.
There are a couple supported by Armenian and one other language, but I do
not think we can say an Armenian aspirate (or initial #sx-) "proves" the
original PIE was an aspirate.
There are some other suggested roots with voiceless aspirates, for which the
aspiration is supported only by one language.

Is this really "ample" evidence, which "demands" the reconstruction of
voiceless aspirates?

Aspirate suggested by Armenian only:
*phol, *math
Aspirate suggested by Greek only:
*deph, *kantho, *kwenth, ske:th
Aspirate suggested by I-I only:
*kapho, * menth, *wyeth (set), *wreth (even P is doubtful)
(Of these 4, the 2nd and 3rd show a laryngeal (so printed in Rix, both
with -th2), and the fourth is highly unlikely)

Aspirate suggested by Armenian and Greek:
*perth,
also *(s)meukh but both languages have -g- forms as well.
Aspirate suggested by Greek and I-I:
*k^iph, *k^onkho, *khakha, *makhos
Aspirate suggested by Skt and Armenian (but where does Armenian #sx- come
from?):
*skhel

Aspirate required by no language:
*eph, *rek^Th (the "aspirate" here is thorn!)
Aspirate suggested by Skt, but denied by Greek:
*kenth

A full list with Pokorny references follows if anyone is still interested.

peter

*deph, stamp, knead 203 Arm top'el "hit" ; Greek depho: Serb has dëpiti
(laryngeal?) Not in Rix.
*eph, cook 325 Only Greek and Armenian; neither requires ph. Not in Rix.
*kapho, hoof 530 Only I-I s'apha/safa requires ph; English hoof
*k^iph, twig 598 Skt s'ipha; (Messenian Greek kiphos = crown)
*phol fall 851 Armenian p'ul - nothing else requires ph

*kantho, corner 526 Only Greek requires -th-
*kenth, lump 567 Skt kantha, Arm -t'-, Greek kentro:n Skt & Gk disagree
*kwenth, suffer 641 Greek penthos requires -th-
*math, worm, hoe 700 Arm mat'il Nothing else suggests th
*menth, swirl 732 Skt math class 9

*perth, pole 823 Arm ort' Gr ptorthos
*rek^th, harm 864 Thorn in Pokorny! Raksas ~ erechtho
*ske:th, harm 950 Only Greek requires th
*wieth, shake 1178 Only Skt and Goth; Skt has set forms
*wreth, support 1183 OE, p/ps Skt, but semantics unclear. Even P
uncertain.

*k^onkho, shellfish Iranian -kh- Gk kogkh- (conch)

*kha kha, Interjection of laughter 634 Skt Grk (Lat) OHG Lith
*makhos, happy 699 Skt makha, Gk makhlos No others
*skhel, stumble 929 Only Skt skhalate and Arm sxalem
*(s)meukh, (s)meug- (s)meugh, smoke 971 Arm mux but also murk; Greek smukho
but also esmuge:n. Celtic; OE smeocan; Lith -g-