From: Patrick Ryan
Message: 54230
Date: 2008-02-27
----- Original Message -----
From: "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 8:55 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] PIE meaning of the Germanic dental preterit
> On 2008-02-27 15:02, alexandru_mg3 wrote:
<snip>
> Your idea of reduplication as expressing "plurality" is a non-starter.
> Neither the dual nor the subjunctive (of all numbers) are associated
> with any sort of plurality. If you believe that reduplication in the
> present stem has to do with repeated or incomplete actions, I agree. But
> it has the same function in the singular as well ("I am repeating an
> action, you are repeating an action, she is repeating an action").
<snip>
I hope these remarks will be regarded as an attempt to clarify or assist
rather than a mere intrusion on Marius and Piotr.
I have found that reduplication in many languages _can_ express simple
plurality but oftener, it expresses totality, a related concept but
different concept.
Thus, in Sumerian, 'man-man' means not 'several men' but 'all (the) men'.
With a verb, it comes close to a perfective (note: I did not say perfect)
aspect.
As we know, there were several types of reduplication in PIE as Miguel so
nicely detailed.
I feel relatively sure that, at least, one of them had 'totality' as its
central theme.
The problem, of course, is the nature of the verbal activity has a strong
bearing onhow reduplication will be interpreted: e.g. punctual verbs
reduplicated are iterative.
Patrick