Re: Proper methodology (was: RE: [tied] Re: Mother of all IE langua

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 10:10:18 +0000, tgpedersen <tgpedersen@...>
wrote:

>--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Miguel Carrasquer <mcv@...> wrote:
>> On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 12:56:54 +0000, tgpedersen <tgpedersen@...>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Alright, so -a:ku etc is from Proto-Nostratic. What happened to
>that
>> >root in those Nostratic languages which don't have it?
>>
>> It's present in PAA (-ku), PIE (-h2(a)), PKartv (xw-), PUral. (-k),
>PEA
>> (-ka, -ng).
>>
>
>You are a master of dodging the question. Perhaps I should draw the
>inference myself: Since it is present only in Proto-Nostratic and
>PAA, PIE, PUral. and PEA, it has disappeared from those other
>branches. Yes/no?

It's the absence of evidence / evidence of absence question. I don't know.

Since there are other 1st person markers (*-mV, *(?)a-), loss of the *-kV
marker is not unexpected. Some IE languages have not preserved the *-h2
marker of the perfect/middle that was still present in PIE.

=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...