----- Original Message -----
From: etherman23
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 1:14 AM
Subject: [nostratic] Nostratic 1st Person Pronoun (Long)

 

So I've been thinking about the 1ps pronouns in Nostratic, and I'm not
pleased. There appear to be a dizzying number of pronouns. Bomhard
reconstructs *mi, *ma, *ka, *Ha, *na (actually there are two of
these), and *?iya. He tries to explain these variants as suppletive
forms depending on number, exclusivity, and whether the verb is active
or stative.

 <...>

 

Patrick:

Bomhard is essentially correct:

 

*mi, conversational partner

*na, one

*na (here, I prefer *nu), collectivity = we (inclusive)

*Ha, here (stative)

*?iya (here, I prefer *yi), speaker

*ka (here, I prefer *ki), other

 

possibly

*ma, breast, feminine 1st p. (???)

You must dizzy easily.

 

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