Momentary-Durative

[petegray]

[ moderator re-formatted ]

>> Jens said:

>>> If the tense markers such as the primary *-i and the augment *e- were once
>>> independent words, how can we know they are younger than the person
>>> markers?

I said:

>> The formation is younger, not necessarily the elements.

Jens said:

> Bingo, I guess we agree

Not necessarily.  Other origins for the primary -i have also been suggested,
such as the deictic -i found in words such as Gr. nuni (< nun) , and
appearing in a range of IE langs.   There has even been a suggestion that it
was a locative.

I said:

>> Perhaps I misunderstand you.   It seems to me that a formation <root> +
>> <suffix> + <ending> is necessarily derivative, and that the primary form
>> is <root> + < ending>.

Jens said:

> But is that not like saying that a given noun is older than the plural of
> the same noun?

No.

Peter