On 2008-02-13 17:36, fournet.arnaud wrote:
> "plain velar" colouring ?
> What is it supposed to mean ?
Just like *h2 colouring, but less consistent. *e > *a when preceded or
followed by any of the "plain" velars (*k, *g, *gH). Such an *a behaves
exactly like an old *e coloured by *h2. In particular, it may have an
o-grade alternant, and its long grade is *e:, not *a:.
> Glurps.
> How is H1a / H1a: alternation possible ?
> Anti-matter ?
Why should it be impossible? I'm talking about fundamental
(non-conditioned, etymological) *a. It may appear in any environment,
also next to an *h1. If you prefer, you can reconstruct the 'white' word
as *albHó-, but there are good reasons to believe that PIE did not have
roots without a consonantal onset, and this one can't be *h2albH-, since
Hittite alpa- 'cloud' has no <h->.
> *sal- 'salt',
> ========
> A quite obvious loan-word.
> Probably from western Europe.
> CF. zhva "sea".
What is "zhva"? What language does it come from?
Piotr