tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-665072256055167417.post1456144790902143636..comments2015-09-22T02:57:38.053-07:00Comments on Áhann Áhim: Indo-European OriginsNelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08765254563756137957noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-665072256055167417.post-48758355230279426932015-09-22T02:57:38.053-07:002015-09-22T02:57:38.053-07:00I'm glad you enjoyed the post, Piotr. You'...I'm glad you enjoyed the post, Piotr. You're right about *kʷekʷlo-, of course - I think one of the strengths of the Anthony-Ringe paper is that they stress the importance of word groups, and the cumulative improbability of too many separate innovations. Any one word on its own will always have too much doubt to really be that useful. (Though the cumulative factor also applies, if less strongly, to the number of branches in which a word has a given meaning - *kʷekʷlo- does mean wheel or wheeled vehicle in quite a few rather disparate branches.)<br /><br />I've often wondered whether the semantics of *kʷekʷlo- have any inherent probabilities in them. 'Wheel' and 'circle/ring' are pretty closely related concepts, but would a derivation *turn > *wheel > *circle maybe be more likely than *turn > circle > *wheel? Intuitively I find it attractive to derive a word for 'wheel' directly from a root for 'turn', especially if the reduplication is meant to have some sort of iconic iterative connotation - 'the thing that turns around and around'. But semantic change is slippery, and I don't suppose this question can actually be answered with any useful certainty. I'm sure my gut feelings about it don't count for much at all!Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08765254563756137957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-665072256055167417.post-73533724529624758362015-09-04T13:23:42.901-07:002015-09-04T13:23:42.901-07:00Hello, Nelson! I've just discovered you've...Hello, Nelson! I've just discovered you've started this blog. A nice post #1. I'm adding you to my blog roll, looking forward to #2, #3 etc.<br /><br />I just wanted to comment on the *kʷekʷlo- business. Hittite <i>hurki-</i> also has a plausible IE etymology (*h₂werg- isn't attested as a verb in Anatolian, but then *kʷekʷlo- is more widespread than *kʷelh₁- in the other part of the family). Since there's no reason to treat either of the sister branches (Anatolian and "Nuclear") as privileged, *kʷekʷlo- and <i>hurki</i> should enjoy equal status as early IE 'wheel' words. It's hard to decide if both of them are post-PIE innovations. Either of them, or even both, may go back to PIE. *kʷekʷlo-, at any rate, often has meanings like 'circle, ring, disk' (not surprisingly, in view of its etymology), so it may have existed long before the invention of wheeled vehicles.Piotr Gąsiorowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06339278493073512102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-665072256055167417.post-88021502656485650972015-07-18T02:22:21.621-07:002015-07-18T02:22:21.621-07:00I'm glad you both enjoyed the post!
Asya, I&#...I'm glad you both enjoyed the post!<br /><br />Asya, I'd love to do a review of your book (though I would indeed need a copy).Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08765254563756137957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-665072256055167417.post-65722938564350644342015-07-17T11:58:29.308-07:002015-07-17T11:58:29.308-07:00Great first post, well done! Thank you for mention...Great first post, well done! Thank you for mentioning our book, The Indo-European controversy -- would you be interested in doing a more detailed review of it on your blog? We could send you a free copy, if you are interested. Let me know. Best wishes, AsyaAsya Pereltsvaighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06111831062274618509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-665072256055167417.post-27002623110266294742015-06-27T07:34:34.010-07:002015-06-27T07:34:34.010-07:00Nelson
Brilliant post and really helps get to th...Nelson <br /><br />Brilliant post and really helps get to the core of the argument between these two competing theories- I am slowly going through the Anthony/Ringe paper. Like your style reminds me of Tolkien's review of Philology books in the 1920's This Year's Work in English Studies - look forward to more! Best Andy Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com