Nyelvtudományi Közlemények 96. kötet (1998-1999)
Tanulmányok - Dezső László: Typological Comparison of Root Structuring in Uralic and Early Indo-European. [Az uráli és korai indoeurópai tőstruktúrák tipológiai összevetése] 3
Typological Comparison of Root Structuring in Uralic and Early Indo-European 9 Type I: C°iVC°2- the two consonants could give nine combinations, but only eight are possible: CVC, CVR, CVH; RVC, RVR, RVH; HVC, HVR; *HYH is excluded. Type II: C°iVRC°2- here the penultimate consonant of the cluster must be R3 ; the number of possibilities is eight, but only five are admitted CVRC, CVRR, CVRH (all with initial C); if R and H are in initial position (C°i) only RVRC and HVRC are possible; i.e. the final С must be an obstruent; *RVRR composed only of sonants and combinations with initial R or H and final H (*RVRH, *HVRH) are not admitted. Type III: C°iRVC°2 - here the consonant cluster is initial, the possibilities are limited because laryngeals do not occur. As the second consonant must be a sonant, there are four possibilities, but only two of them are presented: CRVC and CRVR; the other two would be *RRVC or *RRVR with initial sonant cluster. Type IV: VC°- the only consonant is an obstruent or a resonant, a laryngeal can also occur; this type is typical of suffixal elements. Type V: VRC°- here the first consonant of the cluster is a resonant, which can only be followed by an obstruent, no laryngeal is admitted. Type VI: C°V the structure primarily includes pronouns: C° can be any type of consonant. Type VII: C°RV is only found in pronominal bases: no laryngeal is admitted, the initial consonant can not be a resonant. The question of roots with initial sibilant and reduplication (ib. 189-91) will not be considered here. If we have a look at the first three types, we find that C°iVC°2 structure is composed freely with only one restriction: it cannot have laryngeals, besides a vowel. The structure C°iVRC°2 has less restrictions than C°iRVC° 2 : the first constrains laryngeals only, the second does not admit them. Consonant clusters also occur in type V with initial vowel: VRC° and in Vu where a cluster opens the morpheme: C°RV; neither of them admits laryngeals and both have limited application. If we compare the Indo-European roots with those of Uralic, we find that PIE CVC and PU CVCV show the freedom of combination of consonants. The consonant clusters after the first vowel CVCC have more constraints in Indo-European: the first element of the cluster is a sonant and the number of combinations admitted is restricted. Restrictions also exist in Uralic but they are complex and cannot be considered here. The Indo-European structure with initial cluster CCVC; i.e. C°iRVC°2 is composed of a sonant and no laryngeals can occur in it, therefore the structure has strong constraints. There seems to be a hierarchy of structures in the languages of North Central Eurasia: the most productive structure is CVC(V). It is followed by CVCC(V)
