Re: EAK - preliminary thoughts on verbs

Philip Newton wrote:
> On 5/27/07, R A Brown <ray@...> wrote:
>
>> One query: according to the above, "have" should be _sxe_ (σχε) /sxE/,
>> rather than _éxe_ (έχε) /'ExE/. But, although the stems are
>> diachronically variants of *segh-, would the stems _skh-_ and _ekh_ have
>> felt _synchronically_ variants of the same stem to the ancient Greeks,
>> or would the verb have seemed suppletive to them? I am inclined to have
>> _éxe_ in EAK.
>
> As would I.
Also _éxe_ is somewhat easier to say than _sxe_   :)

[snip]
>> Undecided suppletives:
>> _érxe_ or _élthe_ "come"?
>
> Hm. Based on usage in compounds, I can't think of a compound with
> -elth-, but one with -erx-: erxomós, arrival, coming. But using the
> aorist stem feels more appropriate somehow.
Yes, as you may have noticed in an earlier post, I am inclined towards
_élthe_, but I'm not sure why other than "gut feeling".

>> ASPECT
[snip]
> This is also something I'm struggling with a little in GSF. I have, so
> far, dropped the imperfective ~ perfective distinction (having
> present, past, future, and compound tenses past-in-the-past and
> past-in-the-future),
I am definitely not introducing tenses - so some maybe I ought at least
to have the possibility of aspectual marking.

>
>> VOICE
[snip]
>> .............................EAK will
>> have no inflexions to denote voice. Middle voice will be expressed by
>> appropriate periphrases (usually a reflexive form). I have not yet
>> decided on how the passive will be expressed, except that it will be by
>> an analytic construction.
>
> Is influence from another language a possibility? I'm thinking of
> Maltese, which borrowed one way of forming the passive from Italian
> (viz., using "to come" + passive participle).
Yes, but in the "Western Hellenic Alternative Timeline" world, there
will be no Italian    ;)

Also the Italian requires a past participle, and if EAK verbs have no
inflexions, there will be no past participle. But I'm not going worry to
much about this until I come back in mid June, refreshed from holidaying
in Peru  :)

>> [NON_FINITE VERB]
>> In ancient Greek these were infinitives and participles. The infinitives
>> have disappeared from the modern language, being replaced by nominal
>> clauses.
>
> or the subjunctive, e.g. "I want to come" -> "I want that I come".
That's what I meant by nominal - "that I come" serves as the direct
object of "want"  -

But possibly of the subject of both verbs is the same, the second could
be omitted.

--
Ray
==================================
ray@carolandray.plus.com
http://www.carolandray.plus.com
==================================
Nid rhy hen neb i ddysgu.
There's none too old to learn.
[WELSH PROVERB]