From: fournet.arnaud
Message: 56490
Date: 2008-04-03
----- Original Message -----
From: P&G
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 9:11 AM
Subject: [tied] prothetic e [was Gemination in Celtic
>How and why did the prothetic e- arise in French,
>Spanish, etc.?
Since I don't see a reply from anyone who knows, please accept one from
someone who doesn't.
(a) Initial sC- has caused a problem in several languages, which is eased in
different ways. The simplest is to insert a vowel beforehand. I don't
think it means there is anything special about the /s/, rather, it reflects
the fact that some languages find that combination awkward. cf Ismirna for
the old Smyrna, and so on.
(b) prothetic <e> presumably because it is more neutral, in some sense -
non-high, non-low, non-rounded. Does it actually reflect a spelling of /&/
?
In other words, I haven't a clue, but I thought your email looked lonely.
Peter
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I have tried to provide some additional information
in 56 449
Arnaud
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