From: Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
Message: 5890
Date: 2001-02-02
>Maybe eastern *ak^ru (Indo-Iranian, Tocharian) : western *dak^ru (archaic Latin dacruma, English tear), but here the *d is not aspirated. Perhaps what happened here was the reverse "recomposition" -- *d stolen by the preceding word: *to(d) dak^ru > *tod ak^ru. The process (known as "metanalysis") can be illustrated with examples from numerous languages, including English (check them up in the OED!):I'd be reluctant to posit this kind of metanalysis for a language,
>
>a nap(e)ron > an apron
>a nadder > an adder
>a no(u)mpere > an umpire
>an ewt (OE efete) > a newt
>an ek(e)name > a nickname
>mine uncle > (my) nuncle (cf. King Lear)...although an occasional example of the kind here above cannot be
>that other > (arch./dial.) the tother
>OE for thae:m a:nes 'for the occasion, on the spur of the moment' > ME for then ones > for the nones > for the nonce