*G^EN-

[proto-language]

Dear Pete and IEists:

----- Original Message -----
From: "petegray" <petegray at btinternet.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2001 1:57 PM

>> 1. the opinion was expressed that the root should properly be reconstructed
>> as *g^enH(1)- rather than *g^en-; is this a majority opinion?

> Absolutely.  The laryngeal (h1) is very well established.
>   (a) set. (i.e. not anit) forms exist in Sanskrit:  janitos, janitvi, etc;
> janisyati etc;
>   (b) non-lengthening in Sanskrit causative:  janayati (suggests a closed
> syllable, *genH-eye-ti.   Likewise the desiderative jijanis.ate.
>    (c) Forms with syllabic n (zero grade before consonant) show reflexes in
> Sanskrit of long syllabic n, which implies nh.  eg ja:yate, ja:ta etc.
>   (d) Latin perfect genui (from gigno) is an absolute give-away for a
> laryngeal.

I will ask you the same question I asked Rich:

does that, in your opinion, mean there was no *g^en-?

Pat

PATRICK C. RYAN | PROTO-LANGUAGE at email.msn.com (501) 227-9947 * 9115 W. 34th
St. Little Rock, AR 72204-4441 USA WEBPAGES: PROTO-LANGUAGE:
http://www.geocities.com/proto-language/ and PROTO-RELIGION:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2803/proto-religion/indexR.html "Veit ec
at ec hecc, vindgá meiði a netr allar nío, geiri vndaþr . . . a þeim
meiþi, er mangi veit, hvers hann af rótom renn." (Hávamál 138)