W dniu 2012-02-14 01:06, Torsten pisze:
> Ahem. Swedish fader, moder with -d-, Danish with -ð-.
Formally, of course, ON faðir, móðir could explain the English
fricative, but spellings suggesting such a pronunciation are virtually
non-existent before the 15th century, also in dialects from areas once
colonised by Scandinavian-speakers. Even after 1400 they remain rare and
their true career starts in Early Modern English. At a time when Middle
English orthography was anything but standardised and all kinds of
regional pronunciation variants were reflected in the spelling
(including <sister, syster> beside <s(w)uster> etc.), the exclusive use
of <d> rather than "thorn" or <th> shows that the stop was retained not
only in London but also regionally. 1400-1500 is far too late for the
massive adstratal impact that had led to the borrowing of <egg>,
<sister> and <they/them/their>.
Piotr