English Lack of /a/ (was: The oddness of Gaelic words in p-)

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "dgkilday57" <dgkilday57@> wrote:

> > That is, I do not believe that any stage of PIE ever lacked /a/
> > entirely.
>
> English does, with a few exceptions.

I don't see how one can claim that without conceding that Sanskrit
lacked /a/. (The Sanskrit vowel usulally denoted as /a/ is at least
as high as [æ].)

Richard.