minimal pairs (was: PIE e/o Ablaut)

[Stanley Friesen]

At 09:54 PM 4/4/00 -0500, proto-language wrote:
>[PR]

>I would have to say that you are wrong.

>There is no phoneme in any language which has not been established as a
>component of a minimal pair.

Examples have been given that show otherwise.

>[PR]

>I am claiming that the *e/*o-Ablaut can be described by a rule.

Unfortunately, every such rule I have seen proposed requires modifying the
reconstructed PIE lexicon, or it has too many exceptions to be counted as a
rule.

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May the peace of God be with you.         sarima at ix.netcom.com