r and s

[H. M. Hubey]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Ralf-Stefan Georg wrote:
 
>
>
> And there is the Bolghar-Turkic Rhotacism, which changes Common Turkic
> *-z-, -z to -r-, -r in the languages of the Bolghar branch, viz. Volga
> Bolghar and Modern Chuvash.
> St.G.
>
 
Unless I am wrong the word for 5 in Chuvash is pilek (which to me sounds
a lot like 'bilek' (wrist, hand) and which sounds to me as if it is
older than Common Turkic 5 (besh). Secondly the weakness of the liquids
in Turkic and Altaic (and Dravidian) is well known. It makes more common
sense to believe that l~r Turkic (Chuvash) is more archaic and these
sounds changed to sh~z because the eastern languages did not have the
liquids, than to assume that it is a rhotacism.
 
 
 
>
> Stefan Georg
> Heerstrasse 7
> D-53111 Bonn
> FRG
> +49-228-69-13-32
 
--
M. Hubey
Email:          hubeyh at Montclair.edu    Backup:hubeyh at alpha.montclair.edu
WWW Page:       http://www.csam.montclair.edu/Faculty/Hubey.html