Re: *per(kw/g)- and Greek terms

From: stlatos
Message: 59448
Date: 2008-07-02

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "A." <xthanex@...> wrote:
>
> Greetings all,
>
> I had a few questions which I am hoping my betters (aka you all) can
> enlighten me about:
>
> 1) I see there was a discussion on the Greek
> keraunos 'thunder/thunderbolt' and whether it might somehow be
> derived from *per(kw/g)- meaning 'hit/strike'. Was any consensus ever
> reached on whether this was a likely origin?

I don't think any consensus was reached. I used to think it was
probably a borrowing, but after I found Latin changes involving
sequences of plain P/K like:

*psxaLikàx+
*pxaLikàx+
*pxaLipàx+

palpa:re


*kwàp+
*0wàp+
*wàp+

vapor


Which seem to show that since pw- wasn't allowed a change > 0 was
caused, and that more specific environments needed to exist (like p-x
k-x > p-x p-x) for this type of change to occur.


Therefore, a Greek change in a very specific environment, that is,
when kW changes, like:

when kW > k before u (p-kWu > k-ku)

except kW > 0W > 0 between r_u (p-rkWu > k-r0Wu)


If so:

*perkWuunos
*ker0Wuunos
*ker0Waunos
*ker0aunos
*keraunos