From: Richard Wordingham
Message: 60050
Date: 2008-09-15
> From: "bmscotttg" <BMScott@...>OF _sarge_, later _serge_ (16th century) 'serge' (earlier _sarge_ in
>> Olof von Feilitzen, in The Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday
>> Book, says that '[b]efore _r_, especially _r_ + consonant, _e_ and
>> _a_ tend to interchange in OFr generally', citing K. Dammeier, Die
>> Vertauschung von _er_ und _ar_ im Wortschatz der heutigen
>> französischen Schriftsprache, Dissertation, Berlin, 1903.
>> In any case, that point of view conflicts with some basic data :
>> French chaise, chaire = English chair both with /e/
>> French charge = English charge both with /a/
>> French chercher = English search : French has /e/
>> French marcher = English march : both with /a/