Re: Chico ([tied] Re: Romance Pequeno, Pequeño [...])

----- Original Message -----

From: m_iacomi

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 9:03 AM

Subject: Chico ([tied] Re: Romance Pequeno, Pequeño [...])

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Wordingham" wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "m_iacomi" <m_iacomi@......> wrote:
>
>>  Summing up, "pl-" can yield Spanish "pl-" or "ll-", but never
>> Spanish "ch-" as in "chico". So *piclu > *plicu [> Sp. *plico
>> :-)] is a series which doesn't lead to an existent word, hence
>> no reason for assuming this series of reconstructed items ever
>> existed.
>
> Unless you think it might be a loan from Portuguese.

In principle yes, but the Portuguese equivalent "chico" `small`;
`flat (sea)`; `ancient coin of 40 centavos` is usually given from
Latin "ciccum" (or even Ital. "cico" `thing of little value` --
the It. actual word is "cica" and is rather rare, regional and
archaic - its origin is anyway related to the same Latin "ciccum"
`worthless object`, `trifle`). Semantics, phonetics and geography
(Catalan "xic") point towards this etymon.

  Regards,
               Marius Iacomi