Action nouns in *-<i>ia-</i> and a new verbal stem *<i>jsīn-</i> “to kill” in Khotanese

Abstract This article addresses derivational issues related to palatalization in Khotanese, focusing on action nouns of the kīra- type (&lt; *- i̯a- ). It is argued that diachronic palatalization conforms to the rules of synchronic palatalization and that the origin of the hapax legomenon jsīna - “killing” (Z 13.124), which apparently violates these rules, needs to be interpreted differently. It is traced back to a reduplicated Indo-Iranian verbal stem * ǰa-g h n- (cf. Young Avestan jaɣn- ) &lt; Proto-Indo-European * g wh é-g wh n- “to strike repeatedly” → “to kill”. This stem is also reflected in the Khotanese gerundive jsīñaa- “to be killed” &lt; * dzai̯n-i̯a- ← * dzaɣn- &lt; Iranian * ǰa-gn- . The article contributes additional evidence supporting the development of the preconsonantal voiced velar fricative * ɣ into * i̯ in pre-Khotanese.