The origins of -urC- for expected -orC- in Latin
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
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Authors
Nicholas, Zair
Abstract
A number of Latin words show -urC- where -orC- would be etymologically expected. In this article, a collection is made of the reliable examples, and previous explanations are assessed. No regular sound change that explains all the good examples exists, and it is concluded that an origin in dialectal Latin, although superficially supported by the apparent parallel of cases of -irC- for -erC-, is difficult to substantiate. Instead, there seem to be two sources: firstly, a regular Latin sound change * ΣorC- > urC-, as in *Σor-Σo- > uruum ‘plough’; and secondly, borrowing from Umbrian, where, it is argued, -ur- is the regular reflex of *-‰- (e.g. the preverb pur- < *p‰-).
Description
Keywords
47 Language, Communication and Culture, 4703 Language Studies
Journal Title
Glotta
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
0017-1298
2196-9043
2196-9043
Volume Title
93
Publisher
Brill Deutschland GmbH
Publisher DOI
Sponsorship
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/K007599/1)
Research for this article was carried out as part of the ‘Greek in Italy’ project, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.