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semantics question

From:Rob Haden <magwich78@...>
Date:Friday, July 11, 2003, 2:10
OK, I've been slowly trying to create more verbs for Pre-OurTongue.  For
those who don't know, the idea is this:

1. Proto-Language monosyllables combine in twos and threes to make new
verbal compounds.

2. Stress-accent differentiates monetariness (iambic accentuation) and
durativity (trochaic accentuation) (Ryan 2000).

3. Sound-changes and semantic shifts transform momentary and durative
inflections of the same root into separate roots.

Here's one example of the above that I'm having some trouble with:

PL xa-mho "press-together+wander"
> xámo "get ready and go > set out(durative)," xamó "get ready and go > set
out (momentary)" The durative form would later become kaum, and the momentary form would become kamó. I have tentatively given the meaning "travel" to the former, and "go (out), embark" to the latter. Do these seem realistic? Or are there better alternatives? Basically I'm having trouble with extrapolating further semantic shifts from earlier momentary and durative varieties of the same verbal idea. - Rob

Replies

JS Bangs <jaspax@...>
Thomas R. Wier <trwier@...>