Re: Betreft: Re: Critique sought

Rob Nierse wrote:

> I'm a bit out of my depth here, but doesn't PIE have a two-vowel
> system with /E/ and /O/? (or is it /e/ and /o/?)
That's the Laryngealtheorie reconstruction, but many people have
challenged the reconstruction on typological grounds.

Note, however, that the reconstructed system only had two vowel
*phonemes*.  The ablaut system allowed for many other vowel *phones*,
including [i] and [u] (vocalic versions of y and w), syllabic liquids
and nasals, and the 'laryngeals,' whatever they were, had syllabic
reflexes which were, I think, e, o, and a.  Then there are long vowels
and diphthongs.

So the *phonetic* vowel inventory of Laryngealtheorie-reconstructed
PIE is still pretty wide.

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             edheil@postmark.net
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