The development of PIE initial iota in Greek - reevaluation of evidence in context of typological data (Part 1)

In the following paper selected Greek words with initial zd- or h-, which could have developed from Proto-Indo-European initial Hi̭ or  i̭-, are analyzed. In the first part the position of the Greek language within the Indo-European family, the Laryngeal Theory and the history of research on the development of initial glide (H)i̭- in Greek are commented on. In the main segment, divided between the two parts of the paper, the criteria of the selection of the Greek words are put forward and the selected thirteen words analyzed in the light of the development of their initial segments. In the second part, the conclusions made on the basis of the analysis are confronted with theories on scenarios of relative chronology of the sound changes. Finally, typological data is adduced to favour one of the possible scenarios of changes.