[tied] Re: Monovocalism: sequel

From: tgpedersen
Message: 33444
Date: 2004-07-08

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, enlil@... wrote:
> Torsten:
> > "We" here meaning those who speak a Germanic language (except
> > possibly Dutch). You try doing that in French.
>
> I speak French, and you're right. Because of liaison, glottal stops
> just sound wrong in that language.
>

Perhaps Germanic vowel-initial (including those in w- and y-) words
in the Romance languages were loaned with the Knacklaut, thus eg.
*?werra > gwerra, similar to the way Verschärfung in North Germanic
is supposed to have taken place. *?y- > *dy- would have followed,
including native Romance words.

Torsten