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

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:

>
> Latin barba (instead of expected *farba) < *bHardHa: (cf. Lit. barzda, OSl. brada, CGer *bardo:)
> Latin bestia (instead of expected *festia) < *dHwez-dHtia? (cf. CGerm *deusja-)
>
> Do these examples prove a dissimilation bH-dH > b-dH in Latin?

No, because we have <fiber> 'beaver' and <febris> 'fever'. Probably <barba> was extracted from <imberbis>, <Ahe:nobarbus>, etc. I do not know the origin of <be:stia>.

DGK