Re: [tied] Renfrew's theory renamed as Vasco-Caucasian

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

>
> ***
> Finally, a good question!
>
> Need to be VERBAL because, if nominal, the stress-accent can have

occasioned Ablaut;

>
> for example, an actually occurring *-u- could (and would in my

opinion) simply be the zero-grade of *-éu-.

>
> If we were looking at *CuC, we would have to reject the form since

the actual root would be *Céw + a root extension (the final *C), thus
*CéCC-.

I put the following proposal to you. An early form of PIE did have the
vowels *i and *u. However, when stressed these vowels diphthongized to
*ei and *eu. Thus the zero grades represent the original forms. In
this light verbal roots in *u and *i are easy to find since the
zero-grade represents the actual vocalic structure.