On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 14:16:06 -0400, Anton Sherwood <bronto@...>
wrote:

> To a first approximation, a word has -ant/-ance/-ancy if its root is a
> Latin a-stem verb, -e- otherwise.

Many thanks! Had been wondering for a long time, thinking just possibly
that the original Latin spelling was the determiner. You confirmed and
clarified.

Regards,

--
Nicholas Bodley /*|*\ Waltham, Mass. (Not "MA")
The curious hermit -- autodidact and polymath
Hope for these times: Paul Rogat Loeb's book --
"The Impossible Will Take a Little While:..."