Thinkin' more.
I wonder if it's possible that IE Narten stems are
just the product of backformation from sigmatic
aorists.
Basically, you take an aorist like *bHe:rst (whose
length btw was caused by compensatory processes during
Syncope) and convert back to a durative by simply
taking away the aorist marker, leaving *bHe:rti.
Simultaneously and perhaps more commonly, forms like
*bHer-e-ti would also develop from the aorist via the
subjunctive.
The result would be a language with a lot of thematic
presents with a few lingering Nartens added to the
batter.
= gLeN
______________________________________________________
Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/