Re: PIE initial *a

----- Original Message -----
From: "fournet.arnaud" <fournet.arnaud@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 12:25 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] Re: PIE initial *a


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>

<...>

> =====
>
> *a is conspicuous rare and does not enter in any morphological
> alternation.
>
> This is the major fact in favor of the standard theory.
>
> Arnaud
> ==============

***
Patrick:

Mauvais d'habitude, Arnaud.


*a does not figure in any morphological alternation (Ablaut/apophony)
because it was not a possible outcome of *A(blautvokal), which had only *e,
*o, *°, and *Ø as possibilities.

This Ablaut *e and *o do _not_ continue pre-PIE *e and *o. And pre-PIE *a
had become *A so was not independently available in addition to outcomes of
*A for anything in PIE except possibly as a reflex of *N (vocalic [n]) etal.

***