Re: Anser (was: swallow vs. nighingale)

From: Patrick Ryan
Message: 50656
Date: 2007-12-02


***
 
One of the entries below stimulated my curiosity; and if my analysis is correct, suggests a much later separation of KhoiSan and the remaining languages than I would have imagined possible.
 
I reconstruct the underlying PL form as *THO-HHA-¿E, an adjective describing a mass that has compacted itself.
 
Normally, we would expect a PIE form of *toHi-(*to:i-) based on the addition of -y to *toH- (*to:-). But it appears that this word was formulated very early when the final syllable was vocalized, producing *tHai- and with the elision of H: *ta:i-. This is found under the s-mobile form in Pokorny as *sta:i-, 'heap, what has compacted itself'.
  
This is probably also seen in Sumerian du-8, 'heap' (for *dü).
 
This should be reflected in Arabic T-H-y (dotted t and h) but I have been unable to find such a root.
 
This corresponds to Sino-Tibetan *tajH [Starostin], better seen in pre-classical Old Chinese *ta:j.
 
While it is difficult to see how BeiJing duo-1 could develop from *ta:j, it is not hard to see how Sandawe de: could since e(:) < a(:) + i is common in many languages around the world.
 
Theoretically, it is hard to believe that this van be more than a coincidence but I confess it is an interesting one.
 
 
Patrick Ryan
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2007 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: [tied] Anser (was: swallow vs. nighingale)



A.F :
Khoisan Cognates :
 
 
===========
 
Proto-Khoisan : *dao

Meaning : road

Proto-Bushman : *dao

Proto-Khoe : *dáò
 
=> BeiJing Dao4
============
 
Proto-Khoisan : *de [˜]

Meaning : many

Sandawe : *dē
 
=> BeiJing duo1
============ ==
Proto-Khoisan : *diʔa [˜]

Meaning : egg

Sandawe : *diʔa
 
=> BeiJing dan4
 
Is it not Fascinating !?
that it works.
 
=========
 
Now as far as Arabic is concerned,
this language displays a very high level of
segmental "instability" :
 
Verbs meaning to cut :
batta, batara, barata, batala, balata, sabata, bataka.
r and l are both infixes and suffixes.
 
And there are hundreds of examples like that.
 
Most affixes can appear anywhere :
 
rashsh : sprinkle water
t?a-rash
 
Hamâ : to be angry
Ha-t?-am
 
Hamm : black
Hama-t?a : black blood
 
It is always hard to know which two consonants might be the "real" root.
 
============ =
 
Arnaud