Re: p <-> kw

Hello,

> However, there are some early borrowings
> into Gaelic
> where they changed an original p into c, for whatever reason.
Quite true. The reaosn is simple - they didn't have a _p_, so they had
to change it into something reasonably close (I think was a similar
example posted earlier from and American Indian language). Interestingly
enough, often two words were borrowed twice, with and without 'p'. So we
have Ir. _Cothriche_ and _Pádraig_, both being borrowed from Latin
_Patricius_. The _p_ in the latter is due to the appearance of _p_ in
Irish proper thanks to syncope, when _b_ + _h_ in contact resulted in
_p_. So after that the Irish had a _p_ of their own, and accordingly
used it.

> The first
> example that comes to mind is the Gaelic name for Easter, Càisg, from
> Latin pasqua (sp?).
'Pascha', I guess.

> Another one is the Gaelic name for the Picts,
> Cruithnich (sing. Cruithneach), which is believed to be the
> same as the
> name Prydain/Britain/etc. I should perhaps mention that those examples
> are Scottish Gaelic, which is the kind I speak. I'm not sure what the
> Irish or Manx forms of those words are.
The Irish ones are, I believe, _Cruithni_ and _cáisc_.

Pavel
--
Pavel Iosad               pavel_iosad@mail.ru

Is mall a mharcaicheas am fear a bheachdaicheas
                 --Scottish proverb