Re: [tied] PIE *CVC roots as Punctual (Aorist)

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Ryan" <proto-
language@...> wrote:

> Sorry, I will make corrections and re-send.
>
> Patrick
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Patrick Ryan<mailto:proto-language@...>
> To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com<mailto:cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2005 3:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [tied] PIE *CVC roots as Punctual (Aorist)
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Patrick Ryan<mailto:proto-language@...>
> To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com<mailto:cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, May 30, 2005 10:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [tied] PIE *CVC roots as Punctual (Aorist)
>
>
> I asserted, some time ago on this list, that an unmarked *CVC

verbal root (that does not terminate in *-H, *-y, or *-w) in PIE was
inherently punctual. This idea was denied by another list
correspondent.

>
> Since then, I have made a study of the *CVC roots listed in

Rix (LIV), and have compiled the following statistics:

>
> The total number of roots in Rix is, according to our count:

1138.

>
> The total number of *CVC verbal roots that do not terminate in

*-H, *-y, or *-w, is, according to our count: 212, or 18.6% of the
total number of roots.

>
> Of the counted *CVC verbal roots, 184 form presents by

additions to the root in order to obtain a durative meaning; that is
86.7%.

>
> Of the counted *CVC verbal roots, 72 form root aorists; that

is 33.9%.

>
> On the basis of the figures compiled here, the proposition

that any PIE *CVC-root that did not terminate in *-H, *-y, or *-w
was inherently punctual, is supported.



Oh, I see now how right you are! Leaving avowedly questionable cases
aside, the index of LIV notes 25 cases of a root present from a CVC
root not ending in -y, -w or -H). The index gives 47 secured root
aorists from CVC roots (not ending in -y/w/H. Now the total number
of secured root presents is 151, that of root aorists is 264. Thus
there is a 25 in 151 (16,56 %) probability that a CVC root not
ending in -y/w/H forms a root present, while the likelihood that it
forms a root aorist is a high as 47 in 264 (17.80 %).

I'm sure you have made a big discovery. Please tell the world what
it means.

If questionable examples are included, the figures are 34 and 70, to
be weighed against 222 and 405, i.e. a 15.31 % probability that a
CVC root not ending in -y/w/H forms a root present, and a 17.28 %
probability that it forms a root aorist. That looks even better for
you, so please do tell us what it means.

Jens