Re: Evidence for Nostratic? (was Re: Proto-Uralic?)

From: "Joe" <joe@...>
> So, um, why were laryngeals introduced?  Was it the inconsistencies in
> Ablaut, or what?
Actually, it was (AFAICT) to simplify the ablaut series...

Where beforehand you have the main series:

    e / o / 0

And series with resonants:

    ey / oy / i
    ew / ow / u
    er / or / r=

(etc.)

You also have "long vowel" series:

    e: / o: / @
    a: / o: / @
    o: / o: / @

These look weird compared to all the others.
However if you propose that there are sounds there that we're just not seeing,
parallel to *y, *w, *r, etc., then you have:

    e1 / o1 / 1=
    e2 / o2 / 2=
    e3 / o3 / 3=

...which are perfectly normal members of the series.


    *Muke!
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