? Nasal formative (pres/aor)

[ECOLING at aol.com]

Whether we believe there was originally
only one nasal derivational formative,
or we believe there were two distinct ones, for at least one of them...

Can we ask
what might have been a plausible more concrete semantic
when it was still an independent root?
(main verb or auxiliary???)

How about 'attain', 'reach', 'gain', 'approach', 'come near' or the like?

That works for semelfactives (in sense of becoming,
or sense of 'happen' in French 'il ARRIVE que VERB').

When there is an agent in the present imperfective of the
original MAIN VERB or AUX *nV...,
then a meaning 'try to' could develop, as in many cases
where an agent is in continued control of an activity
that goes on for a while; perhaps as in the
Hittite possible relic pair 'wound' with n-formative
and 'kill' without it.  Contrast 'beat' or 'batter' (agentive)
vs. 'hit' (either agentive or impersonal
'he was hit by a flying windowpane').

Do such meanings resonate with anyone?

Best wishes,
Lloyd Anderson