Re: a:-stems

At 8:26:11 PM on Saturday, May 3, 2008, Patrick Ryan wrote:

> Miguel, in our discussion of the 'Vocalic Theory', you
> mentioned an example of a development that you thought the
> VT could not explain:

> specifically, the instrumental singular of -*a-stems,
> which you set forth as follows:

> "

> -y-Ha(:).

> That's hardly satisfactory. We have three morphemes here:
> the thematic vowel (*-o-), the feminine marker *-yeh2- ~
> *-ih2-, and the instrumental ending *-eh1. The combine as
> *-o-yh2-ah1, with colouring of the instrumental ending by
> the *h2 of the feminine.
> "

[...]

> We are talking, I presume, about the -*ia: variant of the
> *a-stems.

He was talking specifically about the Slavic and Sanskrit
a:-stem instrumental singular and the Armenian oblique. You
can find the full statement at
<http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/55746>.

[...]

> My sources list the instrumental singular of *a:-stems as
> *Ø.

You must not have Beekes. Talking about the h2-stems (i.e.,
a:-stems), he gives the inst. sing. as *-h2eh1 (for
*-h2-eh1), but adds that the Slav. and Skt. forms are
different, having been taken over from the pronouns.

Brian