From: Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
Message: 423
Date: 2001-11-24
>I think I have an explanation for some of these features. AccordingIf the thematic vowel were usually accented and attached to zero-grade
>to my opinion, the thematic wovel actually originally was a part of
>the root. In Steppe I think many (if not all) noun roots ended in a
>wovel. I think Some of these root had this end-wovel permanently
>axentuated.
>
>When the zero-grade arose, the end-wovel of the root was thus
>protected, while the sentral wovel of the root got zero-grade. This
>protected end-wovel. I think this protected rott end-wovel is the
>origin of the thematic wovel.
>
>This hypotesis for the origin explains why the thematic wovel is
>protected from zero-grade, and why it is often attached to zero-grade
>roots.
>I other roots the axentuation shifted between the sentral wovel andThere are many more inflectional patterns (acrostatic, mesostatic,
>the end wovel during inflection. Theese roots sometimes got zero-
>grade in the sentral wovel, sometimes in the end wovel. For these
>nouns the end wovel was redefined to be a part of the ending when it
>persisted.
>
>Thus two patterns of inflection arose, the thematic, and the
>athematic.
>
>I can give two examples:
>
>Acc welqwo`m > wlqwo`m
>Gen welqwo`se > wlqwo`s
>
>Acc de`ntom > dentm
>Gen dento`se > dnto`s (here the o was redefined as belonging to the
>ending)