Inspired by a question Leslie Fish raised on rec.music.filk, of how to tell where the h in "Buddha" goes. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The cowpokes who roamed the _Urheimat_ And worshipped a god called _Dyeus P@ter_ Used plenty of words (and not mime, ought To mention) which spread just like butter. A bunch of these seem to include a Root *_bheudh-_; we believe this because We have words like "bid", "beadle" and "Buddha", And three very interesting laws! Buddha, tell us! Which of your stops should be heh-less? We needn't decide this by whim -- We've Bartholomae, Grassman, and Grimm! Our first law was found by a brother (I can't put a name to the fella -- I know it was one or the other Of the guys who wrote down "Cinderella"). It states (inter al.) that Germanic Voiced stops come from aspirates; the Old English verb _beodan_ (don't panic, That's "bid") implies *_bheudh-_ in IE! Buddha, tell us! Which of your stops should be heh-less? Now *_bheudh-_ ("make aware") is less dim, With Bartholomae, Grassman, and Grimm! Next Grassman: The first of a pair of Two "heh"s, Greek or Sanskrit deep-sixes. So _trichos_ (from *_thrikh-_), meaning "hair, of", Does not have a theta like _thrix_'s. Apply this to *_bheudh-_; if it's normal, And acts as a Sanskrit root should, The zero-grade (e-dropping) form'll Be incontrovertibly *_budh-_! Buddha, tell us! Which of your stops should be heh-less? The root here receives just a trim, By Bartholomae, Grassman, and Grimm! Bartholomae then we employ -- see, In _ta_-participial *_budh-ta_ The t, too, gets breathy and voicy. (It *can't* stay t -- 'twouldn't be good t'.) And that is the story on _Buddha_, "The one who becometh aware". (Though thinking a bit, I conclude a Small fraction, at most, of you care.) Buddha, tell us! How *could* we forget which one's heh-less? Our cups have been filled to the brim By Bartholomae, Grassman (It sure was a gas, man), Bartholomae, Grassman and Grimm!