Re: x > f sound change

On 14 Sep 2001, at 6:23, Raymond Brown wrote:

> At 1:05 pm +0200 13/9/01, BP Jonsson wrote:
> >I've just got hands-on evidence that the /x/ > /f/ sound change as in
> >English _tough_ is a natural one:
>
> ..and the normal Brit way of pronouncing 'Van Goch' as "van Goff".  Of
> course that may be in part influenced by the English surname 'Gough' /gQf/
> - but that started its life as Welsh _goch_ /go:x/   :)
This then may well come from the Welsh word "coch" /ko:x/ which means
"red", and then mutated to "goch".
-
Not so much out of my tree, as driving away from the orchard at high speed.
-
Damon M. Lord
Languages Student
LordDM@cf.ac.uk
dirtybiblestories@priest.co.uk