Grassmann's law

The Grassmann law (also: Aspiratendissimilationsgesetz ) is one of the mathematician and linguist Hermann Grassmann ( 1809-1877 ) for the Indo-European Linguistics 1863 proven phonetic Dissimilationsregel.

The law applies to the Altindoarische as well as for the Ancient Greek and means: With an indirect continuation of two aspirated plosives of the first aspiration loses.

The rule is especially evident in the reduplication of verb roots. From Ved. DHA ( 3rd class), for example, is the present stem not * dhá - dha -mi (1st person singular ) but dádhāmi. In ancient Greek concerns the rule that Tenues ( soundless ) aspiratae θ th, ph φ, χ kh and h ( spiritus asper ). The up to the Reduplikationsvokal corresponding to the Vedic example form is τί - θη - μι, tí -the- mi " I Presume" originated from * θί - θη - μι, thí -the- Intl. Also, the present ἔχω, Ekho " I " has lost so his senior anlautendes h * ἕχω, hékhō. Been preserved, however, h is in the future tense ἕξω, HEXO " I will have " hékhsō from * because the resulting * from khs ξ, x unaspirated and therefore the Grassmann condition is not met. The Indian and the Greek Aspiratendissimilation have occurred independently, in Greek only after the transition from * ie, * bh, * gh > th, ph, kh.

Examples from the Ancient Greek

• θάπτω (strain: θαφτ ) ( I bury; Chairman) vs. ἐτάφην ( I was buried, aorist )
• φεύγω ( I flee; Chairman) vs. πέφευγα ( I fled, Perfect )