>But the shortly form of santa ist stã:
This one doesn't give you any hint as to
whether it is the abbreviation of sfânta
or sânta.
>Sân (Sân Nicolaul)
Oh, yes, thank you: we gotta mention this
masculine. Also: Sângiorz (St. George),
Sânmartin (St. Martin), Sândominic (St.
Dominique), Sântandrei (St. Andrew),
Sântilie (St. Elias), Sântioan (St. John),
Sânmihai(u) (St. Michael), Sâmedru (...)
etc. Sântimbru (this Transylvanian one
might be some St. Imre; Imre is (falsely)
translated into German as Emmerich.
And the most famous among the masc. saints:
Sâchetru or [sInk^etru, sI~k^etru] Sânpetru
(St. Peter).
>Both of them does not reflect Latin sanctus
>since expected is *sãmptu/sampta
Of course it reflects that especially because
of that. The dropping of the P is a further
step -- as no one missed it after the nasal
and before a second plosive (the T).
George