On 2008-09-14 17:49, Richard Wordingham wrote:
> I can't see how to get Old English _cild_ from Germanic *kilþam. Why /d/?
It's a regular change in WGmc. (via *-lð-, perhaps independently in
different WGmc. languages). Typical examples include <fealdan, feld,
gold, wilde> etc. The same thing happened if *-þl- was metathesised
early, as in *Buþla- 'dwelling' > OE botl ~ bold. Words like health < OE
hæ:lþ have a secondary cluster from (pre-)OE syncopation (PGmc. *hailiþo:).
Piotr