[tied] Re: septm [was: Caland [was -m (-n)?]]

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Miguel Carrasquer <mcv@...> wrote:

> On Wed, 26 Nov 2003 14:02:59 +0100 (MET), Jens Elmegaard Rasmussen
> <jer@...> wrote:

One might think of the basis of the loan being

> >a form *sabi`tu(m) (noun with a real feminine marker which would

have

> >meant something like 'a group of seven', 'heptad').

As in 'a group of seven sisters'? Hm. Pleiades stuff.

>Then one could
> >posit something in PIE like loss of the /`/ with compensatory

lengthening

> >(> *sabi:tum) drawing the accent to the /i:/ then shortening

and/or loss

> >of the /i:/ (> sabtúm) with the accent remaining on the ultima.

This

> >would have had to have happened after the borrowing into PIE

because

> >it is hard to think of this happening in Semitic. It's pretty hard
> >to think of the elision of a stressed long vowel in any case.
> >
> >[mcv]:
> >>As far as I can see, the accentuation in PS would have been

*sab`átu(m) or

> >>*sáb`atu(m), and I don't think **sab`atú(m) is a possibility. Is

that

> >>correct?
> >[bw]:
> >I would find it very difficult to accept an accent falling on the

case

> >ending in PS.
>

For what it's worth, in Mark Rosenfelder's

http://www.zompist.com/mide.htm#afro

check out "seven" and "eight" for two Northern Omotic languages of
the Gonga group:

Mocha shabá.tto shimítto
Anfilo shabattó shimittó

Loans from some Ethiopic language?

Torsten