Re: EAK nouns

Philip Newton wrote:
> On 5/12/07, R A Brown <ray@...> wrote:
>
>> For example the nominative χοή (drink-offering) is retained
>> in the adjective χοηφόρος (offering χοαί to the dead);
>
> (Shouldn't that be "offering χοάς to the dead"?
The definition "offering χοάς to the dead" was taken from the Lewis &
Short Lexicon.

> Or, if you're going
> with English case-[and-number-]marking, "offering χοήs to the dead"?)
But we don't, do we? We just use the foreign nominative. For example we
might say "There were a lot of fungi in the wood this morning", but few,
I think, would say "There were a lot _fungorum_ in the wood this
morning"      :)

>> ύδωρ  (gen. ύδατος) "water" should give EAK  ύδατο, and indeed υδατ(ο)-
>> is used for some compounds in ancient Greek and in English _hydathode,
>> hydatid, hydatoid_. But by far the most common form in ancient Greek
>> compounds is υδρ(ο)- just as by far the common form in English hydr(o)-
>> . Therefore it seems to me that probably the EAK noun for "water" should
>> be ύδρο even tho it's not derived regularly from the declined noun.
>
> Sounds eminently sensible and practical.
Thanks, I think it is. It will be interesting to get Benct Philip's
reactions.

Also, using the 'compositional base' as the EAK word has some
interesting implications for numerals - but more of that later. If I
adopt the CB solution for nouns, then adjectives become more or less
straightforward - but the pronouns are trickier and I'm still pondering
over them.

--
Ray
==================================
ray@carolandray.plus.com
http://www.carolandray.plus.com
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Nid rhy hen neb i ddysgu.
There's none too old to learn.
[WELSH PROVERB]