From: Exu Yangi
Message: 33434
Date: 2004-07-08
>From: enlil@...And the whole thread started by asking if there could even be a vowel that
>
> >
> >>From: enlil@...
> >>
> >>Exu:
> >> > However, -i is (as far as I know) a final vowel when used as a tense
> >> > marker, and hence can not be a thematic vowel in the commonly used
> >> > sense.
> >>
> >>It depends on how you mean. It does appear that we have *i-stems as
> >>alternates of *o-stems (the 'thematic stems') for whatever reason. In
> >>that sense, *i-stems might be said to be another kind of thematic stem.
> >>Of course 'thematic stems' are being used untraditionally here in a
> >>sense more sensitive to the apparent etymology of these items and you're
> >>correct that thematic stems are normally of the alternating-*e/*o kind.
> >
> > If you really want to change the meaning of commonly used vocabulary, I
> > have
> > not objections. Hoever, it will make it very difficult to speak with
>you.
> >
>Exu:
> > Or are you somehow saying that the *-i present tense maker in verbal
> > endings and the *-i nominal roots are related?
>
>No.
>
>
> > In IE "thematic" vowels are usually the -e/o- vocalism that can occur
> > in some verbal categories. -i stems are nouns, not verbs, usually.
>
>Yes I know. However, Jens and I were discussing the relationship of
>stems in *-o-/*-e- and those in *-i- for sometime now. We've both come
>to agree that they are related, however I go further and connect the
>phenomenon with *i-reduplication and claim that *i here derives from the
>same phonetic schwa. I say that while voicing determines the development
>of *o posttonically instead of *e, pretonically it becomes *i in closed
>open syllables. Jens disagrees vehemently.
>
>
>= gLeN
>