Re: [tied] Verner's Law (Germanic)

The result of devoicing in the case
of *D is *T, not *t, which indicates a fricative pronunciation at least
for this particular point of articulation, e.g. *bHéronti > *beranDi
(cf. Goth. bairand) > *beranD > *beranT > *bera~:T > OE beraT (likewise,
*-z > *-s before rhotacism).

Piotr

 

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Is this the explanation for why OE has -as as the nom./acc. plural of masculine a-stem (IE o-stem) nouns?  I have never understood why OE (and OS) preserves final *-s in these forms.

Or are you referring only to *-z < IE *-esi in thematic verbs, which > -s (Anglian)?

 

Andrew