--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...> wrote:
>
> else (*p displays no strange behaviour outside Celtic). Perhaps *p was
> simply particularly prone to aspiration?
You're forgetting Armenian, which shows almost exactly the same
changes as Celtic (and also pH did not > f > xW > h, so asp. was not a
stage of this change). Along with other changes, this must show these
changes occurred in an area at a time when Celtic and Arm. were spoken
next to each other (next to Greek and Albanian).
As for sp-, I'm almost certain that no p>f in this position took
place in Proto-Celtic. It fits the evidence best, and a fric.
preventing stop > fric. is common enough. Comparing Arm. again, no
change in p occurred in this position (until later C-shifts).
Also, sp- would be proven dif. than -sp- (in dif. syllables) if it
were true that *wekWspero+ > *wesfero+ > *wesxWero+ 'evening'. I'm
certain, but others just consider it a borrowing.