From: Rick McCallister
Message: 69284
Date: 2012-04-09
--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
> ***R
> Yet *grassu- seems to be the exception and, curiously, is (about) the only example found in French of /k-/ > /g-/ that I can think of, compare to French chat, cave, crypte (there is also grotte < ? Italian). France definitely had a Celtic substrate, so why doesn't French follow Spanish, Italian and Portuguese?
>
The derivatives of _cavea_ through French into English are _cage_ and, from the dimunitive, _gaol_.
A minor point worth making is that the further back in the mouth a stop is made, the less time there is to make the voicing distinction. Thus apparently random voicing changes happen most easily with velars.
Richard.That makes sense. BUT is jail from French or from Occitan?