Re: [tied] *-je/o- [was: IE thematic presents...]

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, glen gordon <glengordon01@...>
wrote:

> Torsten on my nifty theory about IE denominal *-ye-:
> > You are using your hypothesis to prove your
> > hypothesis. I am not convinced.
>
> No, I'm using a living language called Mandarin as
> a semantic and grammatical parallel. This then is
> a sound basis for my hypothesis.
>
> You're not convinced because you don't understand that
> attested parallels constitutes a kind of proof, a
> proof of strong likelihood. That's still worth
> something.
>

That's right. I don't under stand why an example from an isolating
language can be used to justify the assumption of an endingless
derivation in an inflecting language.

Another thing you should think of: the gentive in -yo belong to the
thematic inflection and is therefore late, not of Nostratic date.

> > Dutch glimlachen "smile"
> > voetballen "play football"
> >
> > German **fussballen "play football", no way.
>
> Aber musse ich Sie fragen:
>
> "Fernsehen Sie" oder "sehen Sie das Fernsehen"?
> >:)
>

Actually it's "Sehen Sie fern?", beleve it or not. The Germans are
pretty strict with dividing their divisible verbs, not like the
Anglos or Dutch or Scandinavians.


Torsten