Re: Re[3]: [tied] Re: Limitations of the comparative method

Thank you. That is very informative.

So one 'melts' gold as well as 'smelts' it.

Patrick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...>
To: "Patrick Ryan" <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 5:40 PM
Subject: Re[3]: [tied] Re: Limitations of the comparative method


> At 6:03:18 PM on Friday, February 1, 2008, Patrick Ryan
> wrote:
>
> > smelt is transitive: cause to melt
> > melt is properly intransitive
>
> PDE <melt> is a conflation of two OE verbs: (1) a strong
> Class III intransitive <meltan> 'to become disintegrated,
> liquefied, or softened, esp. by the action of moisture; to
> dissolve' (< *meltan); and (2) a weak verb <meltan, miltan,
> myltan>, originally the causative of (1) and hence
> transitive (< *maltjan). They appear already to have been
> conflated in OE.
>
> Brian
>
>
>