Re: ka and k^a [was: [tied] *kW- "?"]

From: glen gordon
Message: 40652
Date: 2005-09-25

Piotr:
> The underlying long vowel in this word could perhaps
> be dispensed with if the *a vocalism had no zero
> grade; then *Hna:s would owe its long vowel to the
> normal nom.sg. lengthening, and the weak stem *Hnas-
> etc. plus the total absence of *Hn.s- would
> represent the expected state of things.

And what about:

nom *h2neh2s (> *na:s)
acc *h2neh2sm (> *na:sm)
gen *h2nasos (> *nasos)

With such a paradigm, the odd alternation would
cause some dialects to use weak stem *h2nas- for
all cases (hence short vowel) while in others,
the long vowel of the lost laryngeal would become
the standard. Does that work?


= gLeN




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