Re: [tied] Re: Oven [was: Germanic consonants]

On 2006-09-16 22:33, Piotr Gasiorowski wrote:

> It's been suggested that *x > *f between a back vowel and a nasal should
> be regarded as a regular Northwest Germanic innovation. I believe Voyles
> gives a couple of examples, but unfortunately the only one I remember
> is... *uxna- > *ufna- (I'd have to check up the other(s)). If there's
> any truth in it, though, the reconstruction doesn't have to involve a
> labiovelar or a pre-Germanic variation of *kW ~ *p. PGmc. *uxna-/*uGna-
> is all we need (*ufna- being a regular post-PGmc. dialectal
> development), and something like *h2aukh2- (without an ambarassing
> labiovelar after a u-diphthong) can underlie the Germanic words as well
> as Lat. aula/olla, auxilla, and Ved. ukHá:, ukHá-.

The rule is actually *x > *f when preceded ba a back vowel and followed
by *n, *r or *l. Voyles's other example in the book in question is WGmc.
*hafran-/*haGran- (e.g. OSax. havoro : OGutn. hagri), which he derives
from PGmc. *xaxran- (but what about OHG habaro?). Elsewhere he gives a
few more examples, e.g WGmc. *hufra- 'hump' (OHG hofar) from *xuxra-
(related to *xaux- 'high', according to him) and OE/OIc. sufl, OHG sufil
vs. OSw. sughl 'pulmentum, stuff to be eaten with bread' (< *suxla-,
*suGla-)

Piotr