[202] “Lautphysiologie,” p. 137.

[203] “Jenaer Literaturzeitung” (1874), p. 767; quoted by Sievers.

[204] “Zur Geschichte des indogermanischen Vocalismus,” ii.

[205] According to the current theory the sonant or vocalic n, l, and r develop out of a consonantal n, l, r. Fick (Bezzenberger’s “Beiträge,” iv., 1878) has shown that Greek aorists like ἔδρακε or παθών owe their α-vowel to this cause. The accentuation of the last syllable occasioned the loss of the vowel of the present-stem (which Fick proves to represent the oldest form of the verb), and out of the resulting ἔδρκε or πθών grew ἔδρακε and παθών. The corresponding Swarabhakti vowel in Teutonic is u (cfer. ἑκατόν, i.e. ἑκαντόν for ἑκντόν, and Gothic hund (our hundred), ἄρκτος, and Gothic vulfs, -ματός and Gothic participial -munds). According to the Indian grammarians the Sanskrit ṛi = ¼ a + ½ r + ¼ a (Greek ᾰρᾰ).

[206] “Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Sicilianischen Mundart,” p. 154.

[207] See Joh. Schmidt: “Ueber Metathesis von Nasalen,” in Kuhn’s “Zeitschrift,” xxiii. pp. 266-302 (1877).

[208] “Grundzüge” (2nd edition), p. 650.

[209] Brugman in Kuhn’s “Zeitschrift,” xxiv. p. 81 (1878).

[210] Recent researches seem to have shown that the parent-Semitic possessed two dentals, which may be written ṭ and ḍ, and are represented in Arabic by th and dh (ذ), and in Assyrian, Hebrew, and Ethiopic by s (sh) and z. Consequently the table of sound-shiftings will be—

Parent-Semitic.Arabic.Assyrian.Hebrew.Ethiopic.Aramaic.
ṭthsshsth
ḍdhzzzd
tttttt (th)
dddddd
shssshss
sshssshsh
´ss´s´sssh