Some etymological and morphological observations on the *h2o problem

The present article investigates the problem of *h2o and *oh2 in Indo-European. suggestions (Ruijgh-Lindeman, Rix-Beekes, Kortlandt and Hamp) have been made, but no agreement has been reached in the scholarship. In Mayrhofer 1986 Rix-Beekes was followed, in Bammesberger’s 1988 survey work of the Laryngeal Theory, two of the four theories were posited: Kimball 1988 following Rix-Beekes and Ruijgh 1988 following Kortlandt. More recently, Sihler 1995 agreed with Ruijgh- Lindeman, and in Mallory-Adams 2006 Hamp was followed. We first discuss the four different theories critically, and then proceed to the evidence by analysing the active perfect vocalism in ā, the compounds in -ηγός/αγός and the compound ἱππημολγός. The article finds that the perfect vocalism in ᾱ can be explained by the Greek tendency to create an ablaut paradigm a/ā (as argued by Kimball and Hackstein) and by a double analogy with the aorist (as is proved by the perfect form τέθηκα, which is also due to analogy with the aorist). With regard to the compounds, the article finds that the compounds in -η/αγός can be explained by analogy with the verb forms in a and ā and that the ā in ἱππημολγός is a form of Kompositionsdehnung, which is proved by the compounds ἱππήλατος and θανατηφόρος. We therefore hold that *h2 did not colour o into a and that there is no need for *h4 either.*