Proto-Celtic - An Exploration: Celtic ICM & Q/P Words = Function IE Roots

[DFOKeefe at aol.com]

Dear Dr. Aikio & I.E. List,

          Thank you for your constructive comments, and even your
disagreements.  You are correct about there being no initial consonantal
gradation in Fenno-Ugric, though there is apparently a similar such
phenomenon in Uralic (which I will discuss later in this note).  However, I
am interested in the similarity of the process of consonantal gradation in
Finnish-Estonian, consonantal alternation in Uralic and consonantal
assimilation in Hungarian and initial consonant mutation in the Celtic
languages.  These somewhat similar processes are phonologically complex and
not to be picked up in one or two centuries.

          August A. Koski and Ilona Milahyfy in A HUNGARIAN BASIC COURSE,
N.Y.: Hippocrene Books, 1990 discuss consonantal assimilation on page 71,
where they point out that voiced consonants (b, d, g, gy, v, z, zs) become
voiceless consonants (p, t, k, ty, f, sz, s) and vice versa in certain
situations.  That is, if a voiced consonant proceeds an unvoiced consonant,
the voiced consonant is assimilated and pronounced as unvoiced, somewhat
similar to lenition. Likewise, if an unvoiced consonant precedes a voiced
consonant, the unvoiced consonant is pronounced as voiced, similar to Celtic
eclipsis, though d and n do not become n and ng as in Celtic.  Also, on page
138, they point out that if an n comes before a p or b, it is pronounced as m
and the digraph ny before k and g is pronounced as n. i also observed that
possessive pronouns are placed at the end of nouns (p. 138) and also the
indirect object (137).  The change from voiced to unvoiced consonant of Ugric
consonantal assimilation is nearly identical to that of eclipsis in Celtic.
And also, Celtic languages attach pronouns to the end of prepositions.
Consequently, whether speaking in terms of a Celtic - Fenno-Ugric
relationship, or in terms of the nature of Celtic initial consonantal
mutation, Fenno-Ugric consonantal gradation and consonantal assimilation are
relevant as systematic morphological processes.

          Also, please note that Bjorn Collinder in AN INTRODUCTION TO THE
URALIC LANGUAGES, Berkley: Univ. Cal. Press, 1965, points out that Lappish
has gradation which goes through the whole vocabulary (p. 65) and also he
states that "On the other hand, it is not unlikely that there was gradation
in Common Uralic....." p. 72.  The ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, 15th ed., 1994,
Vol. 22, in an article entitled Languages of the World, p. 690, states "the
Sami languages exhibit similar alternations, but the process applies to all
consonants......"  Presumably, this means that alternation applies to initial
consonants, too.

          The exact development of Proto-Celtic initial consonant mutation,
and Proto-Fenno-Ugric and Proto-Uralic (Samoyedic) consonantal assimilation /
alternation / gradation may be difficult for us to ascertain at this time.
But the fundamental shift between voiced and unvoiced consonants is a shared
common feature.  Based on these exceptional obvious similarities, I conclude
that there was some tie-in.

          Our opinion that there is a strong relationship between
Indo-European and Fenno-Ugric is buttressed by Professor Kalevi Wiik's own
independent research.  He is a distinguished professor of phonetics in
Finland. He is well-supported by modern genetic data which has knocked out
the isolationist linguistic claims of Basques and Fenno-Ugrics, particularly
as regards the rh negative blood factor.  We used Modern Irish and Modern
Finnish because if the two languages were related long ago, they should show
some strong similarities today, even if a few borrowed Latin words are
included in either vocabulary. (I frequently get criticized for comparing the
Finnish numeral three to the Irish word for pigeon on account of its 3 toes.
That was the only rationale I could come up with.)

          Your comments that our works on Uralic are pretty much on the mark.
 They are tentative explorations.  I will label them as such.  If Celtic is
related to Fenno-Ugric, and there is a reasonable possibility that it is,
then it may be possible for a partial, low grade IE link to Uralic.  Please
note, by a partial linguistic link, I mean links limited to very basic
resemblances only, with no links to grammar, conjugation, declension.  A
limited, but consistent connection at most.

Regards,
David O'Keefe
Houston, Texas