--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "P&G" <petegray@...> wrote:
> >> So you do find it possible that at a period there was only one
phonemic
> >> vowel in PIE?
> >
> >Yes. The result would be as in Sanskrit where /a/ has precisely
that
> >status.
I'm sure that Jens means precisely what he says. He is not
disputing the existence of a multi-vowel system between PIE and
Sanskrit, merely pointing out the parallels between the systems. It
seems a good analogy - very similar arguments can be deployed to say
that neither PIE nor Sanskrit is a one-vowel system, but they do not
contradict the parallel.
Interestingly, they also have the same number of stop positions.
Richard.