> > Interesting. Møller mentions a Semitic causative prefix s-
> (wherever
> > he got that from) which he equates with IE s mobile, to which he
> > therefore tentativly also assgns a causative meaning (e.g. melt,
> > smelt, and, perhaps reach, stretch).
>
> Proto-Semitic *s > Hebrew *S (normally transliterated 'sh'), and the
> causative sh- prefix is mentioned by Gesenius. It's fairly rare in
> Biblical Hebrew; the only word I can recall that has it is
> hishtah.wa: 'bow down', analysed as hith (reflexive) + sh (causative)
> + h.wy (root). There are other analyses of this word.

I think the proto-Semitic causative *s is fairly well-established. It
even occurs in Akkadian. I don't recall it being present in Hebrew
though, if so very rarely, and perhaps better analyzed as loans from
Aramaic (which has it). I am not at home so I don't have any refs at
hand I'm afraid.

best,
Harald