Vowel Lengthening in the Latin Nominal Lexicon: Innovation and Inheritance

Abstract The object of this paper is to lay out a historical scenario to explain forms with vrddhi-looking long vowels in the root which are sporadically observed in some nominal forms in Latin. Forms often invoked for this topic include (derivational) compounds such as convīcium ‘angry noise; insulting talk’ [Pl.+] and suspīciō ‘suspicion’ [Pl.+], which will be discussed first (§1). Another type is exemplified by simplex adjectives such as sācri- ‘pertaining to the sacred (place / rites)’ and ācri- ‘sharp’, which will be treated later (§2).