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

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Wordingham" <richard.wordingham@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2008 1:19 PM
Subject: [tied] 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 usually denoted as /a/ is at least
as high as [æ].)

Richard.

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Patrick:

Richard, what convinces you that Sanskrit <a> is a front vowel, at any
height?



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