From: Carlton Winbery (winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net)
Date: Fri Jan 19 1996 - 08:05:34 EST
Ken Litwak wrote;
> Thanks for the help. I figured at first it was perhaps a perfect. I
>knew that a participle doesn't have an augment so I looked under hHNE/O-
>first and found nothing, so I guessed that maybe in this tense, an A or E
>was lengthened anyway, even without the augment. If I missed a principle
>here, I'd appreciate knowing what it is. Thanks.
>
Two principles operate here. The lengthening of the initial vowel to show
reduplication as well as augment. Reduplication does not drop off outside
the indicative mood as does the augment. The second is that perfect and
pluperfect passives (fifth pp) do not have a thematic vowel. Thus the W in
hHNWMENH has to be an O lengthened. It cannot be the result of
contraction. In verbs contraction occurs only in the present and imperfect
(first pp) so this has to be perf. passive. The subject of phonetic change
is important for students to study eventually since it helps to spot keys
to location.
Carlton L. Winbery
Prof. Religion
LA College, Pineville, La
winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net
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