Re: Latin c- > Romance g-, any explanation?

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:

>
> > 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.
>
> That makes sense. BUT is jail from French or from Occitan?
>

The Latin diminutive caveola gave Old French jaiole 'cage, prison' (modern geôle), with regular palatalization of the initial velar. The French form was borrowed into Old Spanish javola > modern jaula 'cage'. Portuguese gaiola must be an Occitan loanword, and in Bearnese Gascon we've got caiola, borrowed into Basque kaiola.

Also notice that Spanish chabola 'shack, shanty' is a loanword from Basque (e)txabola '(shepherd's) hut; cabin', which is a genuine compound from etxe 'house' and ola 'hut'.