Re: Chain shifts & transformed u's, was: Blandness

Irina Rempt scripsit:
> On Mon, 9 Apr 2001, Oskar Gudlaugsson wrote:
>
> > * Dutch has /y/ < /u/ (right?)
>
> I don't think so: Dutch has both /y/ and /u/ (vuur /vyr/ "fire" and
> voer /vur/ "fodder") but /y/ alternates with /i/ (vier /vir/ =
> archaic and dialectal "vuur", though it also means "four"), not with
> /u/.
Well, the use of "u" for /y/ could be put down to French influence, but
it is plain that /y/ appears where the related languages have, or
had, /u/, e.g. Du. /mys/ vs Eng. /maWs/ < /mus/, Sc. /mus/.

ObJoke:  the Scotsman came to America and was shown a moose:  he
said [If'T@?sy@'mus@dIn@'wA~?t@sij@'r:A?s]!

--
John Cowan                                   cowan@ccil.org
One art/there is/no less/no more/All things/to do/with sparks/galore
        --Douglas Hofstadter

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