Re: again Rum. Crãciun

From: Richard Wordingham
Message: 35725
Date: 2004-12-30

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, g <st-george@...> wrote:
> Is there any probability whatsoever that Greek
<Hristugena> "Christ's
> birth" could be transformed to become <Crãciun>? (according to
> Vulgolat. and Protorum. laws)

I don't think there's a massive problem in deriving *crestúna,
though the loss of intervocalic /g/ is not common in Balkan
Romance. While unstressed /e/ does become /ã/ after initial /r/,
I'm not so sure about after clusters. The biggest problem is /st/ >
<ci>. If a yod inserted itself after the /t/, we should expect
something like *cre$una.

Therefore I would agree with Alex and say there was almost no
possibility.

Richard.