An intermediate stage in Hittite was the change KW > Kw before a
vowel, undetectable in the orthography. It can be seen by
dissimilation of initial Kw > K when followed at a distance by w / KW
/ u as in:
*xWowis 'sheep' > *x(w)awis > Luw hawi-
*xWosdos 'branch' > *x(w)azdwer > H hasdwer
*xWopusos 'penis' > H hapusa-, -ye > G opuío: 'mount'
*xWodukos > hatuka- `terrible, fearsome', -ye > G odúss- 'be wroth'
*xWordh- > hardu- `offspring, descendant', Arm ordi `child, offspring'
*gWroxW(bh)+ 'swallow down' > karap- `devour', Lith gró:bas 'gut'
*gWorus- 'die down (of wind, etc.)' > karussiya- `be silent', Arm
korusanem 'spoil', ON kvirr `quiet, peaceful'
*xWorgnu- > H harganu- 'destroy' , Arm harkanem `strike'
*xWolnu- 'destroy' > H halluwai- 'strife', hallanniya- `lay waste', G
óllu:mi
*gWelbhus 'womb' > *g(w)elwu > H gimzu
*xWorbh- > *x(w)orw- > hammasa- `small child'
*gWixWwos *gWixWu+ 'alive' > *g(w)ixWwa- > *xWigwa- > *xwidzwa- >
huisu-, huitu-()
A later opposite-directed rule changed w-w > w-0, possibly several
times, or a few similar rules:
*xwidzu-war > *xwid(w)ar > huitar, Luw huitumar 'animal'
*waxstiwr, > *wastu(w)r, > wastul 'sin'
But after a consonant w>p:
*wetwos- > L vetus 'old', *wetus- > OCS vetUxU
*wetwont- > *wetpont- > H wezzapant-, Luw waspant-
Apparently dissim. / assim. of w-d-w > w-d-d in:
*widhewi:x > *widowi > *widadi = u[i]dati- 'widow'
The timing of this change w-w > w-y is uncertain:
*kWekWLos > *xwolxwos > W olwyn 'wheel'
*xwulxyos > H hurki-
(xWo- > hu- before P/KW also in *xWopn- > humant-, L omnis)
More odd changes later. For a combination of this and what's coming:
*xWoLk-xY-nos 'bend' > *x(w)alkYunas > H halhalzana- `shoulder'
(u retained in *x(w)alkYu-war > halhaltumar- 'corner'; mid x, > u also
in *pont-x-kos 'little passage' > L pantices 'entrails', panduha-
'stomach'; mid u > a optionally seen in *pentkWus 'all' > pankur
'family, kin' and preserved instr. pangarit 'with a crowd')
I'll also have more regular distance dissim. as :
--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "stlatos" <stlatos@...> wrote:
> n-N > s-N
>
> *enterno- > L internus, H istarna 'in the middle', istarnya- 'inside'
>
> *xWn,gWHno- > Celtic *xaNWgW(i)no-, H saNkWa:(i)- 'fingernail'
>
> H eshanwant- / eshaskant- 'bloody'
>
> *xWn,gW-, *xWn,gWn, > L unguen 'salve', H isk- 'annoint', (met.?)
> sakni- 'oil'