Greek question & the pre-history of *nekwt

[Glen Gordon]

>[ Moderator query:
>  Neuter ending?  This is not a neuter in Latin, Greek, Sanskrit or
>  Germanic.
>  What neuter ending do you have in mind?
>  --rma ]

Latin, Greek, Sanskrit and Germanic are all coincidentally
non-IndoAnatolian languages who all agree with the concept of feminine
gender. I'm sure you must have come across the idea that the feminine is
not archaic but derivative from the previous animate/inanimate
distinctions found in Anatolian lgs. I know Hittite <nekuz> cannot be
feminine since it doesn't have this gender thing. This is the neuter
*-t/*-d found in words like *kwi-d "what" and the heteroclitic
declension: [nom-acc] **yekwn-d > *yekwr "liver". Thus:

         **nekw-d > *nekw-t    TADAAAA!!!

I call it progressive devoicing. You like? Ah, well, it might be a bunch
of "crap" in the end but it's my idea and I'm stickin' with it for now
;)

--------------------------------------------
Glen Gordon
glengordon01 at hotmail.com

Kisses and Hugs
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[ Moderator's response:
  Hittite does not have a separate feminine, but it does have an opposition of
  common vs. neuter (or animate vs. inanimate).  Hittite _nekuz_ is of common
  gender, so I repeat the question:  What neuter?
  --rma ]