Re: Silvaticus

In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel J. Milton" wrote:

>> The only (big) problem of the initial text is that "salvaticus"
>> is _not_ the "Old Latin" form. As one can read [vlt. = Vulgar
>> Latein & rom. = Romanisch], the form with "a" is formed under
>> the influence of "salvare" from "silvaticus" [...]
>
> But what's that "salvare" that contaminated 'silvaticus'? Only
> thing like it I'm aware of is the 'salvus' "safe" complex, which
> doesn't seem to have much to do with forests or savages.

It doesn't. It's just folk etimology (if it's not assimilation
as others say). The word "silvaticus" sounds somehow likely to
well-known "salvatus" and people might have had the tendency to
make them even more similar by turning /i/ into /a/ (thinking
there could be a kind of relationship between the words).

>> "selvaggio/salvatico" (it.), "salvatge" (cat.)

A note: Italian "selvaggio" is not straightforward from Latin
but from Occitan "salvatge" (which derives from "salvaticus");
"salvatico" is Toscan and alternative Italian word for more
usual "selvatico"; it derives from "salvaticus" too.

Regards,
Marius Iacomi