Re: [tied] Re: Latin c- > Romance g-, any explanation?

From: Joao
Message: 29622
Date: 2004-01-15

Oh, I've forgotten cavea > Portuguese ga´vea and gaiola
 
Bravo < pravus? All dictionaries I have mention Portuguese bravo/brabo as < barbarus. In Portuguese, "bravo" has also the meaning of "angry".
 
Joao SL
www.universogerminante.cjb.net
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Marco Moretti
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 1:11 PM
Subject: [tied] Re: Latin c- > Romance g-, any explanation?

--- 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




Yahoo! Groups Links