--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
>
> So is apis from P-Italic?
No, Latin has different rules for V-deletion than most Italic
languages. I don't know of any other case of new k()f from this
time, so the k()f>p() is fairly speculative. However, I don't
know of any better derivation.
quote>
First, I think it's most likely that apis is from
*xakYobhi: 'sharp bee = stinging species of bee' and
Exon's Law deletes the *o creating a new combination
of consonants (among others):
xakYobhi:
xakYobhiyem (acc.)
akYobhiyem
akYophiyem
akYofiyem
akYfiyem
apYiyem
etc.
All cases except the nom/voc. would have been
affected then *akYofi: > *afYi: by analogy (as usual,
as *gWhr,mokap+ > forceps, etc.).