babel1800 <
babel1800@...> wrote:
> Some plural verbal endings seem to be formed by the infixation or
> suffixation of -n:
>
> 1 sg -m 1 pl -men (cf. greek)
> 3 sg -t 3 pl -nt
>
> Anyone who would like to comment?
Well spotted!
I discovered this some tears ago, and, despite some complications, I still think it's highly significant. The verbal *-en plural is best seen in Hittite, where we have:
past present:
1. *-m (> -un) 1. -mi
2. -s 2. -si
3. -t 3. *-ti (> -zi)
1. -wen 1. -weni
2. -ten 2. -teni
3. -e:r 3. *-enti (> -anzi)
This almost directly reflects an agglutinative structure, where the building blocks are:
1st. person: *m(u), 2nd. person: *t(u), 3rd. person: 0
singular: 0, plural: *-én-
3rd. person (secondary), present: *-t-, past: *-s(W)-
present tense: *-i, past tense: *-0.
In other words:
past
1. *-mu > *-mW > *-m
2. *-tu > *-sW > *-s
3. *-0-s(W) > *-s
1. *-mu-én > *-mWén > *-mén (Hitt. -wén)
2. *-tu-én > *-tWén > *-tér (Hitt. -tén)
3. *-0-én > *-ér + -s > *-é:r
present:
1. *-mu > *-mW -i > *-mi
2. *-tu > *-sW-i > *-si
3. *-0-t + -i > *-ti
1. *-mu-én-i > *-mWéni > *-méni (Hitt. -wéni)
2. *-tu-én-i > *-tWéni > *-téni
3. *-0-én-t-i > *-énti
The principal soundlaws that apply are *-tW > *-s(W) and *-n > *-r (except after *m). These soundlaws can be verified in other places besides the verbal endings.
The only irregularities in Hittite are analogical 2pl. -tén for expected *-tér [*-tér is reflected only in Tocharian B 2pl. -cer < *-té:r], and analogical 3sg. -t for expected *-s [the ending *-s was relegated to the 3sg. of the hi-conjugation].
This analysis does not, of course, solve all problems of the PIE verbal endings, not even those of the active voice alone, because besides the 1/2pl. endings *-mén(i) ~ *-tér/*-téni (found in Anatolian, and partially in Greek and Tocharian), there existed another set (Set 2) of endings using the plural suffix *-és, which I derive from **-átu. The alternation *-án ~ *-atV is very old indeed (it can be found in most other Nostratic languages as well).
Adding this ending to the 1/2 person suffixes we get:
[Set 2]
1. *-mu-átu > *-mWésW > *-mésW > *-més(i)
2. *-tu-átu > *-té [a sequence tW..tW was always dissimilated in pre-PIE]
The dual endings (suffix **-íN, **-íkV) would have been:
[Set 1]
1. *-mu-íN > *-mWén
2. *-tu-íN > *-tWér
3. *-iN [?]
These merged with the plural endings.
[Set 2]
1. *-mu-íku > *-mWóh3
2. *-tu-íku > *-tWóh3
3. *-0(-t)
To these endings, plural *-é(s) was later added, resulting in:
1. *-mWh3ó(s) > *-wó(s)
2. *-th3ó(s) > *-thó(s)
3. *-t-é(s)
The other active dual endings (those ending in *-m) are originally middle endings.
--
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal