From: Kim Bastin
Message: 34983
Date: 2004-11-06
>There's no problem at all with u from a here. Compare _salsus_ "salty;
>I got intrigued by the "u" in the Latin word "insulto" which is considered
>to be a derivat from IE *sel, as well as "salire", "saltare".
>
>How is in fact to explain the change of the vowel in the root here? My
>Walde-Hoffmann dictionary does not give any explanation and when one take a
>look at "salire" there is no mention about "insulto". My little dictionary
>gives the "i:nsulto:" but there is no explanation about the change of "a" to
>"u". Or do we have to consider the mention that "l" was influenced by "e"
>which followed and thus the previous "e" or"a" became an "o" or "u"?
>At least that should be the explanation cf. my little dictionary for
>explaining the "u" in "-sulto".
>The examples given there are Latin "oliva" from Greek "elai(f)a" > olaiva >
>oliva or the one of "homo" which originaly was an "hemo", bonus versus bene
>or famulos versus familia.
>
>The "change" appears not very clear at all; the explanation here appears a
>bit forced to me specialy when we do know about the alternance "e" versus
>"o" in IE roots. Can it be in fact we have to deal with reflexes of "o"
>grade here where we have "o" or "u" instead of usual "e", "a", "i" which are
>supposed to ve reflexes of "e" grade of the root?
>
>Anyway, it appears curious this alternance in IE of e/o with a _more_ later
>alternance e/o this time considered just as a phonetic evolution.
>
>Alex