Funny W

[Rankin, Robert L]

Yes, aWa is an example.  'Snow' is another and so are a couple of instrumental prefixes.  In a few cases it is clear that W is a result of *w+w, where an intervening vowel underwent syncope.  In other instances it is possible that a laryngeal+w sequence collapsed.  The sequence *w+r has similar reflexes in one chronological stratum of vocabulary.  I have a discussion of "funny" R and W in the Comparative Method article in the Handbook of Historical Linguistics.
 
Bob
 
> Is it *W that is involved in the Dhegihan positional ama'/aba'/apa' ?  I.e.

  Dh. *aWa' => OP ama', Ks aba', Os apa'   ?

Would a single phoneme, if one could be found, be acceptable on other grounds as a reconstruction for the consonant in the above set?