Re: EAK - two problems

Philip Newton wrote:
> On 5/22/07, Eric Christopherson <rakko@...> wrote:
>
>> It feels strange to me how the possessive marker doesn't always
>> attach to the head, but I'm not exactly sure what feels wrong about
>> that; I know there are clitics in other languages that don't always
>> attach to heads.
>
> Don't some Latin clitics (e.g. -que) work like this, too, always
> attaching to the first part of the second component rather than the
> "main" part, whatever that is?

They do.

[snip]
>
> As Ray said, one difference was that you could add -io not only to
> _to_ but also to arbitrary other elements, such as indefinite nouns,
> adjectives modifying such nouns, or pronouns. With _tou_ you couldn't
> do that, unless the rationale was to add -u always, or something like
> that.
True.

> So _to-io_ looks more like article+clitic (or other particle) to me,
That's what I was hoping      :)

> while _tou_ looks more like an inflected word (at least
> diachronically). Even if _to-io_ is related diachronically to an
> inflected _toio_.
Exactly my feelings.
------------------

Philip Newton wrote:
 > On 5/22/07, R A Brown <ray@...> wrote:
 >
 >> But am worried that -io might appear to be an inflexion, even in the way
 >> I suggested using it. Your observation seem to confirm my misgivings. Oh
 >> well, back to the drawing board    ;)
 >
 > Oh dear!
 >
 > Oh well; as the Germans say, "Don't let the head hang". (Or, more
 > idiomatically, "Don't let your head hang"; i.e. "don't give up, don't
 > be discouraged".)

No - and after reading your remarks above, I may not go back to the
drawing board at all      ;)

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

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