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The compound as a phonological domain in Indo–European
Author(s) -
Rasmussen Jens Elmegård
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
transactions of the philological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1467-968X
pISSN - 0079-1636
DOI - 10.1111/1467-968x.00101
Subject(s) - noun , linguistics , zero (linguistics) , domain (mathematical analysis) , phonological rule , mathematics , simplex , history , computer science , philosophy , combinatorics , phonology , mathematical analysis
Archaic Indo–European compounds show some marked reductions of their individual parts. Phonetic rules can be formulated for the following phenomena: (1) Accented zero–grade in the first member; (2) thematic – o – > – i – in both members, in part with loss of consonantal material, as (2.1) – ro – > – i – (via asyllabic – ry –), which explains much of the ‘Caland system’, and (2.2) ‘root nouns’ replacing agent–nouns with suffixal – t –, and gerundives in – yo – instead of – tyo – (vs. simplex – two –), depending on root structure. The alternations seen in Lat. tellūs : meditullium , NE axle : Lat. axis , the lack of – m – in pronominal feminine forms like Gen.sg. * tesyah 2 s , and the interchange of ro – and u –stem adjectives are explained as side–effects of the rules which are throughout phonetic, not functional.