Re: CHAT: liaison (was: Re: CHAT: Synesthesia and conlanging (wasRe:The ConlangInstinct))
From: | Grandsire, C.A. <grandsir@...> |
Date: | Monday, December 13, 1999, 9:14 |
Nik Taylor wrote:
>
> Don Blaheta wrote:
> > The [t] for inversion, though, is present *regardless* of the final
> > consonant of the verb, and is written if the verb ends in vowel (thus
> > mange-t-il, a-t-elle),
>
> Interesting. Is this from the fact that most 3rd persons end in /t/?
> Perhaps the /t/ became re-analyzed as a general inversion-marker?
>
I think it comes from the 't' which ended all third person verbs in
Latin. It stayed in liaison and became thus reanalysed as an
inversion-marker. But it's just a guess.
--
Christophe Grandsire
Philips Research Laboratories -- Building WB 145
Prof. Holstlaan 4
5656 AA Eindhoven
The Netherlands
Phone: +31-40-27-45006
E-mail: grandsir@natlab.research.philips.com