PIE e/o Ablaut

[proto-language]

Dear Stefan and IEists:

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefan Georg" <Georg at home.ivm.de>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 9:35 AM

Pat Ryan asks:

>> Can you name any "living language" that has a vowel system of /a/, /e:/, /i/
>> (giving you the benefit of the doubt by counting /i/ as a vowel rather than
>> a vocalic allophone of /j/ in an avocalic position), /o:/, /u/, (giving you
>> the benefit of the doubt by counting /u/ as a vowel rather than a vocalic
>> allophone of /w/ in an avocalic position)?

>> If this is not "unheard of", how about letting us hear about it?

> Pashto

 [PR]

I have no ready means of information on Pashto so would you mind if I
enquire:

1) does Pashto have any long vowels beside /e:/ and /o:/?

2) in Pashto, are /e:/ and /o:/ derivable from earlier /Vi/ and /Vu/?

Pat

PATRICK C. RYAN | PROTO-LANGUAGE at email.msn.com (501) 227-9947 * 9115 W. 34th
St. Little Rock, AR 72204-4441 USA WEBPAGES: PROTO-LANGUAGE:
http://www.geocities.com/proto-language/ and PROTO-RELIGION:
http://www.geocities.com/proto-language/proto-religion/indexR.html "Veit ek,
at ek hekk, vindga meipi, nftr allar nmu, geiri undapr . . . a ~eim meipi er
mangi veit hvers hann af rstum renn." (Havamal 138)