--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, alex <alxmoeller@...> wrote:
>
>
> alexandru_mg3 schrieb:
> > Marius
> >
> > P.S. : Could somebody help me : Why we have an a- in Latin
quattuor?
>
>
> it is considered to be an isolated aspect, an inovation which
> appeared just in Latin (maybe influenced by quater, qua:rtus).
> There are some other exaamples as Ligurian "Kuadronia" but they
> are considered to be not very sure.
>
> what about the "ër" in Albanian "katër" then? If "katër" should
> be a loan from Latin "quattor", is the "ër" an adaptation,
> to Albanian language ? I have to say, I am missing the work of
> G. Meyer and that of Pedersen for seeing their argumentation here.
>
>
>
> Alex
>
Thanks, Alex, but the situation is more delicate:
The a- is one 'isolated' aspect, But we have also a -tt- inside the
Latin word : quattuor
Usually a -CC- in Latin has appeared after a long reduced accented
vowel:
Ju:piter > Juppiter
li:tera > littera
So quattuor could well be from an older *qua:tuor
But why to have a long vowel, and why a:? in Latin, from a word
reconstructed as *kwetwores ?
...and I don't like the idea of 'an analogical long vowel'...
Regarding Albanian:
1. The a- in kat&r is explained by Latin quattuor,
2. But, the a- in Latin quattuor is explained 'by an inner
evolution of Latin'
Once again 'this is the well applied Latinist Model' that we know
already...
The 'complete-stupidity' could be written like this:
codru/kod&r < *quodrum < quadrum
patru/kat&r < quattuor
Could somebody help me with a right explanation of Latin quattuor ?
Many Thanks,
Marius