--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao" <josimo70@...> wrote:
> Is there any explanation for the trend *c->g- present in some
Romance words?
> 1- Latin cattus > Romance *gattu > Portuguese gato
> 2- Latin crupta (<crypta) > *grupta > Portuguese gruta
> 3- Latina crassa > *grassa > Portuguese graxa
>
>
>
> Joao SL
Something similar is found extensively in Romance languages and
also in Italian:
Latin /cattus/ > Italian /gatto/
Latin /crassus/ > Italian /grasso/
Latin /crupta/ > Italian /grotta/
Latin /cavea/ > Italian /gabbia/
and also /pr-/ sometimes > /br-/
Latin /prui:na/ > Italian /brina/
Latin /pra:vus/ > Italian /bravo/ (with semantic
shift "cruel", "fierce" > "brave" > "able", and cfr. also the old
meaning of "hired assassin").
Perhaps ancient dialectal variants?
Marco