[language] Re: Sound Changes 6 h >s or not?

[H.M. Hubey]

<><><><><><><><><><><><>--This is the Language List--<><><><><><><><><><><><><>




H.M. Hubey wrote:

> <><><><><><><><><><><><>--This is the Language 
> List--<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>
> There also exist a number of other sound changes that characterize 
> Sinhala and distinguish it from its North Indian sister languages. The 
> change of Sanskrit s to h and the latterÕs eventual disappearance is 
> unique to Sinhala amongst Aryan languages, although such changes
>

I guess by now it should be clear :-)

I do not believe this happened either. I have been asking for an 
attestation of  k>s for a long time.

IT seems to me what happened is
              1) th > t >s or  t > s
              2) t > k > h

Any comments?


> have occured in other Indo-European languages such as Greek and 
> Armenian. We know from ancient Sinhalese inscriptions that the 
> Sanskrit surya (sun) had become hir by the 9th century and hira by the 
> end of the 12th century.
>
THis can't be right. There is some kind of an error in transmission. It 
cannot lose the -ya and then gain it back as -a. It sounds too unbelievable.

Something else happened.  Maybe different dialects got into writing at 
different times by taking over, or else some other shift occurred.

There should be some general principles of linguistics that inhibits 
this kind of stuff from being passed off as "fact" when so many other
possibilities exist.

Comments?


> This in turn became the present day ira by the 15th century.
>

This makes sense. It is easy enough to believe h>0 but if it comes back 
again, whoaaa.



---<><><><><><><><><><><><>----Language----<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Copyrights/"Fair Use":  http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
The "fair use" exemption to copyright law was created to allow things
such as commentary, parody, news reporting, research and education
about copyrighted works without the permission of the author. That's
important so that copyright law doesn't block your freedom to express
your own works -- only the ability to express other people's.
Intent, and damage to the commercial value of the work are
important considerations.

You are currently subscribed to language as: language at listserv.linguistlist.org
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-language-4283Y at csam-lists.montclair.edu
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/language/attachments/20021203/268af524/attachment.htm>