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

16 LÁSZLÓ DEZSŐ laryngeal, R = resonant: CVC, CVR, CVH; RVC, RVR, RVH; HVC, HVR, but *HVH; only roots with final resonant can be related to the three-consonant structures: CVRC, CVRH, CVRR (to CVR), RVRC (to RVR), HVRC (to HVR), all with normal root vowels; CRVC,CRVR (to CVR) with reduced root. In Uralic the high frequency of résonants is characteristic of the C2 position preceding C3: nasals and liquids

(m, n, n, rj, r, I, /'): 50.5%, semivowels (J, w): 7.5%, total 58.0% somewhat lower than in C2 position of C]VC

2

because of the lower frequency of semivowels. Thus, the rule of Indo-European complex roots: the obligatory presence of résonants in C2 position before C

3

is only a tendency in Uralic, but closely connected with the distribution of consonants in CVC structures. The C3

position can be occupied by any kind of consonant in Indo-European, but we have no data of distribution. In Uralic the C3

position is occupied by obstruents (81.3% of which k= 32.3%), the résonants are rare (18.7%). In Uralic the three-consonant roots can be analized into two units CiVC2

and C3

V because the characteristics of

C3

are similar to C]. In typical three-consonant roots the tendency of increasing resonancy continues in C3

, in which the share of résonants is higher than in C2, if the data of Geéz presented in Gamkrelidze-Macavariani (1982: 122, Boeder's Nachwort) are characteristic for Semitic. At any rate, Uralic is posited between Altaic with two consonant roots and Semitic with typically three consonant roots which, however, function also as bases. 3. Vowels in Roots 3.1. Vowels in Uralic Roots 3.1.1. Proto-Uralic Vowels: An Analysis of Etymons The vowel system of Proto-Uralic will be presented in two variants: in Rédei's version, which is used in UEW, and in Sammalahti's version. I shall try to present the second variant faithfully even if I follow Rédei's version. The stress is on the first vowel of the root, and the two trends differ but little in the system of stressed vowels. First, I shall give Rédei's version (UEW X), then that of Sammalahti (1988: 481): 1) i ?ii и 2) i ü у и e e о e о ä a ä à In UEW only some etymons are reconstructed with long e: or o:. Both variants differentiate front and back vowels and the roots follow front or back harmony consistently according to Sammalahti and inconsistently according to Rédei. However, in unstressed position the system of vowels is reduced.