The origins of ERCOMAI
B. Ward Powers
bwpowers at optusnet.com.au
Thu Jun 6 03:03:07 EDT 2002
B-greekers all,
>Carl Conrad wrote:
>
>>No, you should NOT suppose that the root ERC appearing in the present
>>system of this verb somehow metamorphosizes into the root appearing in
>>the other systems. In fact, that root ERC appears ONLY in the present
>>system; the other (wholly unrelated) root has three forms, (all
>>originally preceded by initial digamma which I'll omit from the account
>>here):
I'd be interested to have Carl tell us a little more about digamma in the
history of the language. Was it found everywhere, or only in some dialects?
How certain is the evidence we have for it? Are there any texts which
preserve it, or where is its record found? In inscriptions? What were the
circumstances of it being dropped from the Greek language? I have thought
this a strange thing to do. (Though I suppose we have done the same in
English - our letter symbol for " th", for example.)
Regards,
Ward
http://www.netspace.net.au/~bwpowers
Rev Dr B. Ward Powers Phone (International): 61-2-8714-7255
259A Trafalgar Street Phone (Australia): (02) 8714-7255
PETERSHAM NSW 2049 email: bwpowers at optusnet.com.au
AUSTRALIA. Director, Tyndale College
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