Jens,
I would be very interested in your comments (or any other interested
person) on the following proposed scheme for earliest PIE conjugational
bases:
PUNCTUAL
*CéC²-
DURATIVE
*CéC²-e-
INTENSIVE
*Cé-CoC²-
*Ce-CóC²-
I presume that the augment (*é-) was not obligatory as this stage to
indicate non-present time.
I also presume that -*i was later added to distinguish present from
imperfect
Combined with athematic secondary and thematic primary endings:
*CéC²- + -*m = transitive aorist (now called injunctive)
*CéC²- + -*oH = intransitive aorist (stative)
*CéC²e- + -*m = transitive durative (now called imperfect; with -*i, later
present)
*CéC²e- + -*oH = intransitive durative (now called subjunctive)
*Cé-CoC²- + -*m = durative intensive (now called reduplicated
present)
*Ce-CóC²- + -*oH = punctual intensive (now called perfect)
Do you think this organizational pattern has any merit at all?
Patrick