Re: 'Intrusive' phonemes in languages

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tegnalos" <tegnalos@...> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, glen gordon <glengordon01@...> wrote:
>
> >
> > > Similarly in hyper-urban French "quatre-z-heures".
> >
> > Hyper-urban? Anyways, if you're saying "quatres
> > heures" as in "four hours (of duration)" then
> > sticking -z- there makes sense because "four" is
> > qualifying the noun "heure". Since French adjectives
> > agree with the noun they modify in number, the
> > -z- is pronounced as it is written before another
> > vowel.
> >
>
> Sorry, but this is wrong, "quatres" does not exist in French. Numbers
> above 2 do not change in Romance languages (we don't say "cuatros,
> cincos" in Spanish or "quatres, cincs" in French). "Quatre heures" is
> the only possible form.

What's wrong with the alternative explanation that the plural of
"heure" is "z'heure"? The problem then arises that the /z/ ought to
be part of the preceding word in writing, whence 'quatres' etc.

Richard.