On Sun, 15 Jun 2003 23:52:06 +0000, Richard Wordingham
<
richard.wordingham@...> wrote:
>How does Old French seint, saint (> English saint) derive from
>*santus? I would have expected Old French *sant.
Right. The normal development of French */an/ is */ain/ (> /En/), but only
in an open syllable (lana > laine (> /lEn(&)/). In a closed syllable, /a/
merely becomes nasal /a~/ (e.g. campu > champ (> /s^a~/)).
French saint (/sE~(t)/) must then derive from /san^t/ (with palatal /n^/),
which in turn derives from /saNXt/ with the normal palatalization of /Xt/
to /yt/.
To give Alex an idea of the complexity of the French phonological
developments, here is an approximate listing of the rules affecting Vulgar
Latin */a/ (< Class. Latin /a/ and /a:/):
1. stressed:
open syllable: > /E(:)/ :: fába > fève /fE:v(&)/
(final) > /e/ :: prátu > pré
(-aY-) > /ai/ > /E/ :: palátiu > palais /palE/
:: báca > baie /bE/
(-ariu) > /ier/ > /ye/ :: pomáriu > pommier /pomye/
(-Ya-) > /ye/ :: amicitáte > amitié /amitye/
(-YaY-) > /i/ :: Clipiácum > Clichy /klis^i/
(-aN-) > /ai/ > /E/ :: lána > laine /lE:n(&)/
(final) > /ai~/ > /E~/ :: páne > pain /pE~/
(-anyV-) > /a/ :: montánea > montagne /mo~tan^(&)/
closed syllable: > /a/ :: árbore > arbre /arbr(&)/
(-alC-) > /au/ > /O(:)/:: tálpa > taupe /tO:p(&)/
(-aKy-) > /a/ :: glácia > glace /glas(&)/
(-aNC-) > /a~/ :: ánnu > an /a~/
(-any) > /ain/ > /E~/ :: stágnu > étain /etE~/
unstressed:
initial syllable:
> /a/ :: maritu > mari /mari/
after c-, open syll > /e/ > /&/ :: caballu > cheval /s^(&)val/
after c-, closed syll > /a/ :: carbone > charbon /s^arbo~/
-aY- > /ai/ > /E/ :: ratióne > raison /rEzo~/
-aí- > /ai/ > /E/ :: fagína > faine /fE(:)n(&)/
-alC- > /au/ > /O/ :: saltáre > sauter /sote/
(in hiatus) > /&/ > 0 :: matú:ru > meür > mûr /my:r/
pretonic syllable:
> /&/ :: ornaméntu > ornement /orn&ma~/
(in hiatus) > 0 :: armatúra > armure /army:r/
posttonic syllable:
> 0 :: cólapu > coup /ku/
:: Séquana > Seine /sE(:)n(&)/
final syllable:
> /&/ (> -0) :: cápra > chèvre /s^Evr(&)/
=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...