LINGUIST List 11.1360

Mon Jun 19 2000

Qs: Romance Phonology/Fouche's Law

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  1. R�my Viredaz, Romance phonology

Message 1: Romance phonology

 Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 10:02:02 +0200
From: R�my Viredaz <remy.viredazspan.ch>
Subject: Romance phonology

Dear Romanists

According to P. Fouche, Phonetique historique du fran�ais, vol. II,
1969, p. 184-189, Latin long i and u, when unaccented, were often
shortened even before the general loss of the quantity correlation,
resulting in Romance e, o instead of the regular i, u. E.g. mirabilia >
merveille, mucere > moisir.

However, Fouche limits himself to examples that involve French; some of
his examples are to be rejected; he does not give a balanced account of
examples showing or not showing this early shortening; and there was no
room for a full discussion of alternative explanations for his examples.

Do you know if any studies of Fouche's law have been published since or
are in preparation? Many thanks.

Best regards,

Remy Viredaz
1, rue Chandieu
CH - 1202 Geneva
Switzerland

remy.viredazspan.ch
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