From Latin to Romance in Sound Charts

Peter Boyd-Bowman

• Publisher: Georgetown University Press
• Year: 1980
• Print ISBN: 9780878400775
• eBook ISBN: 9781589019027
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Linguistics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

This handbook offers a synopsis of the regular changes that Latin words underwent in the course of their evolution into modern Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, with their English cognates). Although it is intended for the nonspecialist, students of Romance philology will find it useful as a ready reference and as a source of abundant examples of Latin sound changes.

The synopsis is presented in the form of separate alphabetical charts for each major sound change. The rules, stated as simply as possible, do not generally explain the evolution of the changes, but only the end results. For those desiring further information, there are notes after most rules outlining exceptions to or modifications of that rule and often sketching successive stages in the development of the sound. Several minor or sporadic sound changes are also treated in note form. Each chart is supplemented by a list of additional words illustrating the same sound change.

From Latin to Roman in Sound Charts has been used successfully as a graduate level text for such courses as History of Spanish, History of French, and Romance Linguistics.

RULE 1
A

Rule: Á generally remains in the Romance languages, but in French, if the syllable is open, it becomes e, and before a nasal, ai.

Note 1. An A which for any reason came into contact with a following yod combined with it to give Ptg: ei, Sp: e: CANTA(V)I Ptg: cantei, Sp: canté;

Ptg: beijar, Sp: besar;

Ptg: obreiro, Sp: obrero; LACTE Ptg: leite, Sp: leche;

Ptg: seiba, Sp: sepa.

Note 2. In French, an A, accented or not, usually combined phonetically with a following yod of no matter what origin: PACE ‘peace’ Fr: paix [p∊] ,

‘threshing-floor’ Fr: aire [∊r],

‘ray’ Fr: rai [re],

Fr: faire [f∊r],

Fr: mais, CANTA(V)I ‘I sang’ Fr: je chantai [ša •te], LACTE Fr: lait, LAXARE Fr: laisser,

to lower’ Fr: baisser, SACRAMENTU ‘oath’ O.Fr: serment; ACRE ‘sour, tart’ Fr: aigre, MACRU Fr: maigre,

‘eagle’ Fr: aigle, ACUTU ‘sharp, pointed’ Fr: aigu [egy],

‘needle, pin’ Fr: aiguille,

‘waters’ Fr: Aix, Aigues (Mortes) (place names), AQUA MARINA Fr: aigue-marine ‘aquamarine’.

Note 3. In French, all final vowels weakened and tended to disappear at an early stage, with the exception of final -A which survived as [ə], the so-called ‘mute’ e: PARTE part,

vend, VIGINTI vingt, UNU un, MUROS murs; but UNA une, *VIDUTA vue. However, even the other final vowels generally remained as [ə] when needed to support (i.e. facilitate the pronunciation of) certain Latin or Romance consonant groups: MACRU maigre, V.L. QUATTRO quattre, PATRE père, DUPLU double, LIBRU livre; ASINU âne (O.Fr: asne)

meme (O.Fr: mesme);

ache,

rouge;

arbre,

lièvre,

Charles,

croire;

onze;

vendent. (It will be noted that in Modern French such support vowels survive even though the consonant group has in the meantime often disappeared.)

Additional Examples

It: sovrano Sp: soberano Ptg: soberano Fr: souverain (Eng: sovereign)

LANA ‘wool’ It, Sp: l...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Introduction
• Abbreviations and some basic terminology
• The phonetic alphabet
• Synopsis of Vulgar Latin
• A synopsis of the origin and development of French sibilants
• A synopsis of the origin and development of Spanish sibilants
• A survey of the phonetic characteristics of Peninsular Portuguese
• Rule
• Table of cross references
• Answers to the exercises
• Glossary of linguistic terminology
• Selected bibliography