Re: Primary Stem Formants: -*H, -*i/y, -*u/w

On 2008-04-07 23:32, Patrick Ryan wrote:

> Many illogicalities which are tolerated to allow the theory to be
> maintained: e.g. 'laryngals' color short vowels ([*e]) but not long vowels
> ([*ee]). I would even accept 'breaking' but _no_ effect? Totally unlikely.

Why?

> Unless you do not consider pronouns 'roots', *me, *te, *so, *to, *ne, *se,
> *kWé/o, *yo.

I said "lexical roots". Those listed above are grammatical morphemes
("function words").

> How does Pinault explain why the 'laryngeal' did not simply become schwa
> (*&)?

Pinault merely observes that a postconsonantal laryngeal coalesces with
a following *j and eventually disappears, so that we get e.g.
*h2arh3-je/o- 'to plough' > *h2arje/o- and *krouh2-jo- > Lith. krau~jas.
The effect is no doubt due to the syllabification of *-CHj- as *-C,Hj-
because of the greater sonority of *j.

> I find that explanation highly unsatisfactory. Where is the
> stress-accent in
> *wr.H(1)-?
>
> My suggestion, *wréH(1)- is far simpler; and shows a stress-accent where
> there out to be one.

Your suggestion doesn't explain why /wre:/ appears only in Greek, where
it is the regular outcome of both *wreh1 and *wr.h1, hence the
possibility of generalising /wre:/ as a secondary full grade in original
derivatives of *werh1-. *CeRh1 and *CReh1 roots are confused in Greek to
a larger extent than elsewhere because in addition to sharing the same
zero grade they merge it with the full grade of *CReh1-.

Piotr