A short note on Greek gήρ ‘beast’ Cover Image

A short note on Greek gήρ ‘beast’
A short note on Greek gήρ ‘beast’

Author(s): Dariusz R. Piwowarczyk
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: etymology; diachrony; language contact; areal linguistics; linguistic history

Summary/Abstract: This article investigates a certain irregularity in the Greek sound changes, namely that associated with the Greek form gήρ ‘beast’, assumed to come from the sequence */ghu/ but treated exactly like the aspirated labiovelar. It is shown that the examples upon which this hypothesis was built are in themselves quite doubtful and even though more examples of this change can be found, they still remain insecure. The sound change is then neither confirmed nor falsified but certain phonetic details of its process are investigated.

  • Issue Year: 16/2011
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 119-123
  • Page Count: 5
  • Language: English