Re: [tied] Brittonic duck [was: Risoe fo the Feminine]

30-04-2004 09:31, Anders R. Jørgensen wrote:

> W. hwyad (f), Bret. houad (m) 'duck' may derive regularly from PCelt.
> *swijeto-/-a:.
>
> We have -je- > -ja- as in *gijemo- > *gijamo- 'winter' (W. gaeaf,
> Vann. gouiañ): *swijeto- > *swijato-.
>
> -ijá- > -&já- > -ujá-, as always in SWBrit. and regularly
> after a
> labial in W: *swijáto- > *xwujádo- (+ lenition).
>
> *xwu- > *xu- (no radical initial xV- permitted) > hu-: W hwyad, Bret.
> houad.
>
> Thus hwyad, houad may reflect PCelt. *swijeto-, but this is of course
> not the only possibility.

Thanks, one can learn a lot from a single etymology!

Piotr