--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...> wrote:
> With so much metathetic freedom plus random deletion and epenthesis any
> pair of words can magically become a match.
I will compare a cognate in a PIE language to show that V>0 in initial syllables only when
-stress. If the Dardic languages show a change from PIE (due to ` added to the end of all
words with various changes) I will show that. All final short V in final syl. deleted in
Dardic (leaving a hanging tone treated dif. between languages, in Br and Kh moved to the
preceding syl.).
> I'm not in principle against odd or weakly supported sound changes,
> occasional irregularities, etc. But the acceptance of such messy facts
> of life is a luxury we can afford if a relationship has been established
> on a solid basis (numerous and strongly supported regular
> correspondences in the lexicon and inflectional morphology). If
> _everything_ is odd, tentative and half-regular, it's just a house of cards.
The pronoun system (compared to the closest cognates, even if another explanation is
possible):
Br.
s pl
1 j^a mi
2 un ma
3m ne, i- we / u
3f mo we / u
3con se tse
3non te ke
(dia. te / ete / et, etc.)
Kh.
s pl
1 awà ispà
2 tù pisà
3near (ha)yà (ha)mìt
3near (ha)mò (ha)mìtan (obl.)
3far hès hèt
3unseen (ha)sè (ha)tèt
The distinctions between m/f and n; subj. and obj.; seen and unseen could easily
become sim. to the distinctions in Br., including concrete/individual non-/mass but the
original was slightly dif. than either of the descendants.
The most likely change is: original had many cases and both m/f/n and near/far for all
pronouns; Kh changed so m/f/n eliminated, uncontracted far>esp. far>unseen, some alt.
in cases retained; Br changed so m/f far > con., n far > noncon., m/f retained in near
only (id. sound in nom. resolved by obl. for f as cases decreased in number)).
Comparing their etymology with Sanskrit (most the same as Strand's Kh comp., some dif.
or added) to see the relation:
Skt > Kh; Br
ayám > (ha)yà; ene / en / ine / in / ne, i-
(this assumes met. of word-final nasal like Br Yasin nya, Hunza ya~ 'bear')
imám > (ha)mò; mo
imé > (ha)mìt; imé > *iwe > we / u
(between V m>w may occur before front V; see below for more)
(e)sá > (ha)sè; (e)se / es / etc.
(e)tát > horò (obl.); (e)te
(e)té > (ha)tèt; (e)tse
(t>ts before front V (before umlaut))
(the obl. is not dif. in the pl. in Kh; k- in ke may be ana. from pl. of nouns)
asmá:n > *asma: > *sma > ispà; ma
yus.má:n > *yis.ma: > *isma > pisà; mi
(in both met. keeps 1pl and 2pl from becoming identical (due to insertion i-sC or first -
stress V>0))
ahám < *egYHom < *egxYom
awà < *egHom < *egxYom
j^a < *egHyom < *egxYom
*tu: > tù; after another word * 'u > u+n (singulative)
(compare Arm. for changes in *t)