Re: swallow vs. nighingale, PASSer

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "alexandru_mg3" <alexandru_mg3@...>
wrote:

> 1. the basque influence is strong in Spanish-Romance (see Spanish

h

> < Latin f, etc...)
>
> From Wikipedia;
> " The change from Latin 'f-' to Spanish 'h-' (discussed at length
> below) is commonly ascribed to the influence of Basque speakers for

a

> few reasons. The change from f to h was first documented in the

areas

> around Castile and La Rioja, areas where many Basques were known to
> have lived. The change to h took place to a greater degree in the
> Gascon language in Gascony in France, an area also inhabited by
> Basques. The Basque language lacked the f sound and thus

substituted

> it with h, the closest thing to f in that language.
> "

Some examples Spanish h < Latin f
------------------------------------------------------------------
Spanish Portuguese Romanian Latin English
hierro ferro fier(u) ferrum 'iron'
hijo filho fiu filius 'son'
hecho facto fapt(u) factum 'fact'
haya faia fag(u) fagus 'beech'
hablar falar n/a fabulare 'to speak'
------------------------------------------------------------------

(u) -> the det. forms: are fierul, faptul, fagul (lupul etc..)


Marius