Re: PIE genitive plural *-o:m, a possible analysis

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
wrote:

>
> An idea occurred to me today that I would like to offer for
> criticism and comment.
>
> I have long believed that the *o-stem genitive singular, -*ós,
> should be regarded as a simple prosodic variation of the nominative
> singular -*os -- a simple shift of the stress-accent from the root
> to the post-root syllable.
>
> I propose that the earliest neuter nominative singular in -*om
> formed a nominative plural in -*óm, and the neuter genitive plural
> was differentiated from it by length: -*ó:m.
>
> Subsequently, the neuter nominative plural was re-formed with
> -*Ha(:), leaving -*ó:m as the neuter genitive plural without a
> prosodic counterpart in the nominative.
>
> This neuter genitive plural form was subsequently adopted by the
> -*o-stems.

The idea is interesting, but I do not see any evidence for the
stress-contrasts that you describe. Could you explain where you see
evidence for these contrasts?

Thanks,
Rob