--- Piotr Gasiorowski <
gpiotr@...> wrote:
> The analysis of *h(2/3)osd-
It would be h3; otherwise o>a in Armenian.
> as *ho-sd- is a little
> suspect: it
They both are in verb form in Modern Armenian:
nstel "sit" < *sit down and vostel "jump" < *get on <
*sit onto, perch on.
> presupposes the existence of a hypothetical PIE
> preposition with an
> uncertain meaning, reflected as *ho- in this word
> and not doing much
> other useful work elsewhere.
If *h3o- onto (top) existed it would explain *pi-
and *h3opi- (formed as *epi-) as "on top" > Lat.
optimus "best" < "topmost" (as Andrew Sihler's
possibility) and "on top" > "on back (of horses,
etc.)" > Greek opi-.
A few other words with (h)o/a in various languages
might be explained this way in addition to *h3ozdos
(possibly even h3obHruh- as *"on (top of) brow"
instead of from h3okW-bHruh- "eyebrow" though it's
unlikely).
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