This post is a brief introduction to the process of debuccalization, a sound change with the power to dispel confusion in various languages of Europe and beyond. With the help of some concrete examples taken from three languages, this is a concept that I believe might come in rather handy for language learners. As isContinue reading “The Un-mouthing of Sounds”
Category Archives: Etymology
Walloons, Wales and Cornish Walnuts
The Wonderful World of *walha– This article is an adaptation of one I wrote for the brilliant interdisciplinary magazine Porridge, which you can find out more about at porridgemagazine.com. Note: the asterisk * is used for historically undocumented and therefore hypothetical words. I’D LIKE to tell you the tale of a headlong tumble down aContinue reading “Walloons, Wales and Cornish Walnuts”
The Economic Sandwiches of York
The Adventures of Proto-Indo-European *weiḱ- What links sandwiches to Vikings, and York to Czech villages? Why, etymology of course! One reconstructed Proto-Indo-European word has enjoyed enormous success in its subsequent, post-PIE life, in part thanks to its useful meaning, in part to the prestige of the languages that inherited it. This word is *weiḱ– andContinue reading “The Economic Sandwiches of York”
Danny L. Bate 