Re: [tied] Timing of ablaut

On Fri, 26 Sep 2003, P&G wrote:

> [Jens:]
> >Do we really, really know that the first syllable of apas-, opus was
> >closed in PIE?

> Why does it have to be closed?    It is

sufficient for it to be < H3e-,

> for
> us to expect a short /a/ in Skt - which is just what we find.

I meant "not closed". That *is* important, it is certainly not "sufficient
for it to be < H3e-, for us to expect a short /a/ in Skt", for if the
syllable was closed, we should not even expect a long vowel from any brand
of the flimsy concept named "apophonic o". So your statements are based on
the firm assumption that the root was *H3ep- and not *H3epH- with a
laryngeal in the end, the only point that really matters here - how did
you decide on that?

Jens