[HH] What's the etymology of the french-catalan-spanish-portuguese numerals
11-15 (and 16 for french) ending in -ce, -ze etc ? They're obviously derived
for the corresponding numerals 1-5 but what's the second element?
[MC] Latin -decim
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[DS] Some brief facts:
(1) In Old Spanish there are six sibilant sounds written intervocalically
<ss, s; ç, z; x, j> the last two being palatal and the other four dental or
alveolar.
(2) Originally is suposed that the spellings <ç, z> represent the affricates
[ts] and [dz], but in 15th century Spanish these spellings become
lamino-dental sibilants which contrasted with apico-alveolars <s, ss>.
(3) <s, ss> are the regular reflexes of latin /s/ and clusters containing
/s/, and about 16th century both became /s/.
(4) <ç, z> are reflexes of palatalization of /k/, and about 16th c. both
become voiceless "th" /þ/. But my doubt is what is the exact rule of
palatalizations? For example OSp. <plaça> = MSp. /'plaþa/ 'square' and OSp.
<dezir> = MSp. /de'þir/ 'to say'.
Davius S.