Re: [tied] pulcher

<pulcher> is a spelling variant of <pulcer>, also attested. Like <lachryma> for <lacruma> or <triumphus> for older <triumpus>, it may be a recherché pseudo-Greek spelling, perhaps reflecting a real affected pronunciation with an aspirated stop. Compare those English mock-classical <ph> and <th> spellings that have no historical justification but have already managed to affect the pronunciation of <nephew> (now often ['nefju:] rather than ['nevju:]), <author> (ME autour -- even Milton still wrote <autority>) and sometimes even of <Thames>, at least locally in Connecticut.

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: tgpedersen@...

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 8:13 PM

Subject: [tied] pulcher

I know it's a minor detail, but it's been bugging me: what is that /h/ doing in Lat. <pulcher>? Considering other inflected forms ("nigra sum, sed pulchra...") it would make sense to assume that the /h/ is there to indicate that the /c/ should not be pronounced /c^/, but then it looks like very early Italian? Didn't the Romans otherwise use /h/ in Greek loans to indicate aspiration? But this is not aspirated? I'm confused. Torsten

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