Re: [tied] PIE suffix *-ro - 'similar-with'

----- Original Message -----
From: "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 4:47 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] PIE suffix *-ro - 'similar-with'


> alexandru_mg3 wrote:
> >
> > I would be glad to talk on some other examples.
> >
>
> Be my guest. Here are some typical examples of *-ró- with
> quasi-participial meanings (in most cases indistinguishable from those
> of *-tó-/*-nó-, though sometimes with some extra adjectival strength):
>
> *puH-ró- 'cleansed' (Lat. pu:rus) beside *puH-tó- (Skt. pu:tá-) from
> *peuH- 'clean, purify'.

***
Patrick:

I think this root is one that seems to show a small but significant
difference between its -*ró and *-tó forms:

1) the derivatives of *pu?-ró suggest an intensive even ritual manner of
'cleaning'; and the related cluster of meanings around 'free of', again
suggests intensive activity;

2) the derivatives of *pu?-tó, on the other hand, seem to indicate a more
relaxed and less methodical _collection_ of activities - simply 'cleaned';

3) in my opinion, the likeliest basal meaning for *pu?- is as a stative
(-*?) of an iterative (-*w) with an implication that the repetitions have
been sufficient to achieve the degree of completion of the verbal activity
set as a goal, of a primitive verbal *pe/o-, 'blow', obviously not seen
uncombined by the time the PIE-stage had been reached.

If this is correct, 'pure' is rather distinguished ancestor for a
housewife's 'dusting', 'blowing off' the furniture.

***

<snip>

> *bHudH-ró- 'vigilant, waking' (Lith. budrus, OCS bUdrU 'cheerful,
> fresh', Av. -buDra-) beside *bHudH-tó- (Skt. buddHá-) from *bHeudH-
> 'observe, be awake'.

***
Patrick:

This seems to me to be another root in the derivatives of which we can see a
discernible difference between -*ró and -*tó: *bhudh-tó- seems to me to
describe repetitions of an activity (-*to) that has, as a result, someone
'being held/staying' (-*dhe/o) on 'both feet/legs' (*bhe-w-), '(a)waken';
i.e. conceptualized as 'getting up' rather than simply 'opening the eyes' or
'returning to consciousness'. This awakened entity need not necessarily be
anything but groggily upright and conscious but, by adding -*ró, an
intensive, a greater degree of distance from sleepfulness is suggested:
'vigilance, alertness, fully wakened'. Again, a remarkable semantic journey:
from staggering to one's feet to cosmic enlightenment.

***

<snip>

> There are also numerous substantivisations like the following:
>
> *nek^-ro- 'dead (body)' (Gk. nekrós 'corpse') from *nek^- 'perish'.
>
> *ksu-ro- 'sharpened (tool)' (Gk. ksurón, Skt. ks.urá- 'razor') from
> *kseu- 'rub, whet'.
>
> *dHegWH-ro- 'burnt (wood)' (Gk. tépHra: 'ashes') from *dHegWH- 'burn'.

***
Patrick:

Good selection, Piotr.

We can see in *nek^-ro- and *dhegWh-ro- that the suffix is not -ró else we
probably would be observing forms like **Nk^-ró- and *dhogWh-ró-.

With *ksu-ro-, I believe the progression was a little different: **kes-
+ -**ú -> *ksu- = 'whetted' + **-ro, 'part' = '*blade-edge', and pars pro
toto = 'razor'.

The addition of -*n would have brought the stress-accent from **ksú- (or
possibly **ks