Re: THEORY: Evolution of infixes/ablaut?

On Wed, 15 Mar 2000, Eric Christopherson wrote:

> The point of this is that I'd like to use infixes and/or vowel alternation
> in a conlang, but I'd like to be able to demonstrate that they evolved
> (intra-conlang) somehow from an earlier form without internal alternation.
Hatasoe uses infixes, but I don't know *how* the evolved.  English only
has one infix -- namely, -fucking-, as in "absolfuckinglutely."  It's
evidently an intensifier.  (Note: I've actually seen this in a linguistics
textbook, so don't go getting offended on me :) )

I *do* know how some vowel alterations arose.  In some words, a suffix
causes an anticipatory change in a previoius vowel.  So, say, in the
language Gluk (which I just made up on the spot, ain't I clever):

protogluk       oldgluk         gluk

stik            stik            stik
stikum          stykum          styk
blat            blat            blat
blati           bleti           blet

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