Re: [tied] Re: Dissimilation of gW/kWVw to gVw/kVw

----- Original Message -----

From: Miguel Carrasquer

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 7:04 AM

Subject: Re: [tied] Re: Dissimilation of gW/kWVw to gVw/kVw

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 10:07:59 +0000, pielewe
<wrvermeer@...> wrote:

 

<snip>

Japanese -ko, formative of female names [Japanese also has a
word ko 'child', prefixed ko-jima 'small island', which I,
unlike Greenberg, think should be kept apart].

<PCR>

My own work suggests to me that the primary meaning derives from *kho is 'child', leading to diminutives (male and female); and finally, to 'small'.

<snip>

In IE, the feminine suffix *-ih2 is obviously the
unthematized counterpart of diminutive *-ik-o-.

PCR:

Not so obvious to me, I am afraid.

 

I believe feminine is derived from *ha.

 

 

For the relation between diminutive and feminine, cf. Dutch
mens "person", mensje "(old) woman" etc.; Afro-Asiatic *-at-
feminine, diminutive and singulative suffix.

 

PCR:
Here, I believe, the point of departure is *tho, the primary meaning of which is 'join(er)'.