On 2008-11-14 09:35, G&P wrote:
>>The Gk. suffix -ád- seems to have originated as a secondarily accented
>>allomorph of *-n.t- (Olsen 1989
>
> I agree with the meaning, it’s clearly related to pallas, youth. But
> why isn’t it taken as palla-d-, with the same –d- suffix that creates
> the patronymics (Boreád- and so on)?
Isn't that the same -ád- suffix, extending both athematic and thematic
stems (with the thematic vowel stripped off)? As for its origin, the
equivalence of Skt. dekát- and Gk. dekád- suggest a special phonetic
development of accented *-N.t- in Greek. The suffix *-nt- appears in
group numerals, tribal names, agent nouns and deadjectival
individualising nouns (like Gk. kemád- 'hind') designations of small or
young creatures (cf. Slavic *-nt- neuters like *pors-eNt- 'piglet',
*de^t-eNt- 'child'; note the deleted thematic vowel of *pork^os). In the
last-mentioned function it can easily develop into a diminutive or
patronymic suffix (*X-n.t- = 'small X' = 'X junior').
Piotr