[tied] Re: IE thematic presents and the origin of their thematic vo

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "elmeras2000" <jer@...> wrote:

> > I see. What caused the /e:/ to be lowered and centralized
> > to /a:/ ~ /&:/ (where '&' = OE <ae>)?
>
> A change in people's speech fashions.

Obviously. Can you try to explain it in phonological terms?

> > That could very well be the case, and the phonological development
> > looks regular there. However, if that happened to *bhérx, then
> > why did *mégx not become *me:g?
>
> Because it was **még^-eH2 that became *még^H2.

How was that necessarily the case?

- Rob