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

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

From: proto-language@...

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 3:27 PM

Subject: Re: [tied] Re: PIE genitive plural *-o:m, a possible analysis

 

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

From: Rob

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 7:24 PM

Subject: [tied] Re: PIE genitive plural *-o:m, a possible analysis

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
wrote:
>
> I fail to see how singularity correlates to nomen actionis and
> plurality correlates to nomen agentis.
>
> ***
> Patrick:
> Well, then, let me recategorize as punctual vs. durative. Can you
> recognize that difference between the two forms?
> ***

No, I cannot.  From what I understand, *bhorós is more original,
with *bhóros being a later development (possibly a back-formation). 
Thus, the two do not seem to have been coined at the same time.

***

Patrick:

 

"original" is perhaps somewhat misleading.

 

The fundamental basis for understanding this form is the stage of PIE during which it was created.

 

During the earliest stage, *bhorós was impossible. Any stress-unaccented vowel became *Ø and any stress-accented vowel became *é so only *bhØrés (*bhrés) could occur.

 

During the next earliest stage, formerly stress-accented *é became *o rather than *Ø. So, since all these forms derived ultimately from *bhérØ-, *bhorés became possible.

 

These two phases are discussed in Beekes, p. 166, though he allows for an *ó in the first stage, which I am reluctant to accept. My strong feeling is that *ó belongs to the second stage _after_ a transferral of the stress-accent from a succeeding syllable.

 

During a following stage, stress-unaccented *o became *ó (rather than **é) after a transferral of the stress-accent while the now stress-unaccented *é became *o, yielding *bhóros.

 

It appears to me to be likely that the regression of the stress-accent to the root-syllable was a result of the abandonment of the device of ultimate stress-accent for designating plural/durative forms so that the singular penultimate stress-accent became standard.

 

***