On the Origin of the Indo-European Thematic Present

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  • 印欧語における語幹形成母音を持つ動詞現在形の起源

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Abstract

<p>The Anatolian languages have virtually no attestation of simple thematic verbs in *-e/o-, but thematic verbs with the suffixes *-i̯e/o- and *-sk̑e/o- are abundantly attested. They were both used to form the present stem. There is no compelling evidence for reconstructing the thematic vowel *-o- in the active paradigm for Proto-Anatolian. The persistent e-vocalism is a feature inherited from Proto-Indo-European. The thematic conjugation originated from the root accented ´-i̯e/o-present. After Anatolian split off, the extra-Anatolian branches remaining as a unity underwent the phonological rule that changed *e to *o in post-tonic closed syllables, so that the alternation of *´-i̯e- and *´-i̯o- was introduced into the verbal paradigm. The vowels *e and *o of the suffix immediately preceding the endings came to be reinterpreted as a part of the endings, and the new endings with *-e/o- later spread to the simple thematic active verbs.</p>

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