The outcome of PIE *-ē̆i̯(C)# and *-ē̆u̯(C)# in Germanic

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Abstract

By suggesting an interconnected series of soundlaws for the outcome of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) falling e-vowel diphthongs in final syllables in Proto-Germanic (PG) and in the individual Germanic languages, viz. PIE *-ei̯(C)# > PG *-ai(C)#, PIE *-ēi̯(C)# > PG *-ei(C)#, PIE *-eu̯(C)# > PG *-au(C)#, and PIE *-ēu̯(C)# > PG *-eu(C)#, this article renders superfluous the old, prevalent assumption of competing o-grade allomorphs in some of the oblique cases of the PIE i- and u-stems. Consequently, the i-stem gen.sg. is reconstructed only as PIE *-ei̯s (not as †-ois in addition), the u-stem gen.sg. only as *-eu̯s (not as †-ou̯s), the u-stem loc.sg. only as *-ēu̯ (not as †-ōu̯), the u-stem voc.sg. only as *-eu̯ (not as †-ou̯), etc.
Original languageEnglish
JournalN O W E L E
Volume67
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)149-172
Number of pages24
ISSN0108-8416
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Keywords

  • Faculty of Humanities
  • language history
  • Indo-European linguistics
  • Germanic
  • Auslautgesetze
  • diphthongs
  • phonology

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