Re: THEORY: Evolution of infixes/ablaut?

On Thu, 16 Mar 2000, Padraic Brown wrote:

> On Thu, 16 Mar 2000, Patrick Dunn wrote:
>
> >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 :) )
>
> Well, _any_ of Those Kinds of Words can be used as infixes.
> I remember being taught that the -n- of stand is an infix
> as well.
>
> >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):
>
> Thou are so clever. Gluk is such a lucky name for a language!
> But do tell us what "stik" and "blat" mean. :)
stik means "fruit salad."  styk is the accusative case.
blat means "armpit hair."  Blet is the plural.

>
> >
> >protogluk       oldgluk         gluk
> >
> >stik            stik            stik
> >stikum          stykum          styk
> >blat            blat            blat
> >blati           bleti           blet
> >
>
> Padraic.
>
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >                Living your life is a task so difficult,
> >                it has never been attempted before.
> >
>

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                Living your life is a task so difficult,
                it has never been attempted before.