On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 03:12:18 +0000, Rob <magwich78@...> wrote:

>Here are my ideas (so far) on Proto-Uralic syntax and inflections.
>They are very tentative as of yet. First and foremost is my thesis
>that Proto-Uralic was a mostly or entirely isolating language.
>Secondly, it had canonical SOV word-order; however, as I have stated
>before, clauses had OVS word-order (simple transfer of subject from
>first position to last). It is in such clauses that Proto-Uralic's
>later personal verb inflections originated.

No, the transitive verb inflections (definite conjugation) obviously
originated as possessive constructions. There was no distinction
originally between the possessive and the definite verbal suffixes.

The indefinite conjugation, however, was originally distinct.

In most modern Uralic languages, the indefinite conjugation has influenced
the definite, and viceversa, but the original state of affairs must have
been something like:

indefinite definite/possessive
(stative) sg.poss. du.poss. pl.poss.
1. *-k *-m& *-g(&n')-m& *-d-m& > *-n&
2. *-n *-d& *-g(&n')-d& *-d-d& > *-t&
3. *-0 *-sa *-g(&n')-sa *-j-sa
du.
1. *-g-m&n' *-m&n' *-g(&n')-m&n' *-d-m&n' > *-n&n'
2. *-g-d&n' *-d&n' *-g(&n')-d&n' *-d-d&n' > *-t&n'
3. *-k, *-g&n' *-san' *-g(&n')-san' *-j-san'
pl.
1. *-d-m&k *-m&t *-g(&n')-m&t *-d-m&t > *-n&t
2. *-d-t&k *-d&t *-g(&n')-d&t *-d-d&t > *-t&t
3. *-t *-san *-g(&n')-san *-j-san




=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...