Re: [tied] Timing of ablaut

> >There are also cases where the lengthening does not appear.
> I suspect that's the result of a later shortening. In Old
> Latin the ending was written -ess, which I would derive from *-e:ts rather
> than *-its.

Old Latin (eg Plautus) does write -ess, presumably from -ets. But there is
not sign whatever of the vowel being lengthened.

Peter