Re: [tied] PIE suffix *-so

----- Original Message -----

From: alexandru_mg3

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 3:00 PM

Subject: [tied] PIE suffix *-so

Please if you could help me with the possible meaning of the PIE
suffix -so

I try to explain Romanian ceafã 'nape' <-> Alb qafë 'id.' as PAlb *kep-
sa < PIE *kep-so where *kep seems to have the meaning 'head' and -so
seems to indicate somehow 'a location nearby the head' but I'm not
sure about its nuance.

Thanks a lot for some similar examples reflecting (the meaning of) *-so

Marius

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Patrick:

 

Well, you certainly picked a "hard-working" morpheme.

 

Unfortunately, unless followed by a "laryngeal" to preserve it earlier associated vowel quality, -*s can represent:

 

1) 'single, unique';

 

2) 'clan, good';

 

3) 'satisfied', stative;

 

rarer uses are:

 

4) 'cord, muscle, strong (unbreakable)';

 

5) 'bodily emission';

 

6) 'skin'.

I guess you can see one of the principal reasons my "theory" is accepted only by amateurs. The amount of time for an "expert" to familiarize himself with these possibilities, and have a chance to sort them out, is prohibitive; and they are just unwilling to invest it.

 

It is easier to dismiss the whole theory than learn enough about it to evaluate it properly.

 

My "guess" is that either 4) or 6) is the culprit in your question but cognates outside of PIE would be needed to even have a chance of specifying further.

 

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