Rob wrote:
> A couple off-topic things:
> 1. Why is the Modern English word 'calf' and not *chealf (pl.
> *chealver)?
The form <cealf> is West Saxon, and, as Richard has already pointed out,
modern standard English is mostly (East-)Anglian-based (it also has
<cold> from Anglian <cald> rather than West Saxon <ceald>).
> 2. Is Modern English 'child, children' an es-stem (*kild-iz-, pl.
> *kild-iz-o:) as well?
The nom.pl. <cildru> (beside <cild>) and gen.pl. <cildra> indicate an
iz-neuter, which of course doesn't necessarily mean that the formation
goes all the way back to PGmc. It may have arisen on the analogy of
*kilbiz-. The modern plural represents a Middle English reflex of
<cildru> plus the weak-noun plural ending, which was often slapped on
minor-declension plurals for good measure.
Piotr