Uztaro

Euskal inesibo singularrean -e- epentetiko irregular bat dugu kontsonante-bukaera duten hitzetan (cf. lanean, hitzean...). Hori azaltzeko, inesiboa -gan berreraiki behar zela proposatu zuen Jacobsenek (1977). Artikulu honek proposamen horren aurkako argudioak biltzen ditu eta erakusleen gramatikalizazioan oinarrituriko hipotesi alternatibo bat plazaratzen du. Era berean, artikulu honek paralelo metodologiko bat ezartzen du astronomiaren alorreko auzi batekin: Uranoren orbitaren irregulartasunen azterketak Neptunoren aurkikuntzara eraman zuen. Irregulartasunen balio metodologikoa nabarmentzen du artikulu honek, are urrutiko esparru zientifikoetan ere.

Gako-hitzak: Euskal inesibo singularra -- Berreraiketa -- Epentesia -- Neptunoren aurkikuntza

[Title]

[Abstract]

In consonant-ending words the Basque inessive suffix presents an irregular epenthetic -e- in definite singular phrases (cf. lanean, hitzean...). Jacobsen (1977) provided a solution to this problem by reconstructing the inessive marker as -gan. This article gathers evidence against this proposal and propounds an alternative hypothesis based on the grammaticalization of demontratives. It also establishes a methodological parallel with a well-known problem in the field of astronomy: the analysis of some irregularities in Uranus’ orbit lead to the discovery of Neptune. This article highlights the methodological value of irregularity even in very different scientific domains.

Key words: Basque inessive singular -- Reconstruction -- Epenthesis -- The discovery of Neptune