Re: Barba and Bestia: bH>b (dissimilation)

> Bestia is borrowed from *beRsYtYab < *beRtYsYaB and be:lua < *betYsYLaw < *betYsYRaB (with R = voiced uvular fricative, B = bilabial r).

What the heck is that stuff supposed to be? *R suggests something Afro-Asiatic, but "bilabial R"!? The bilabial trill is only found in about three languages of Amazonas and two of Congo.

("Y" would presumably be the newest breikthru in How to Transcribe Palatalization in a Nonstandard Fashion. ;)

John Vertical