Re: USAGE: Romance Diphthongisation

Joe wrote:
> So, as I soldier on on Latinesque, I need help.  Where did
> Diphthonisation occur in the Romance languages, when, and how?
>
>  I'm trying to research the history of the language deeply before
> looking at the surface, so  I can describe it accurately, you see.
>
Depends on a number of factors-- (1) the area-- whether it's an Eastern
(Romanian and IIRC Italian and some small relatives) or Western
(Franco-Provencal/Iberian). (2) whether the VL vowel system goes to 5
/ieauo/ (maybe with length), or 7 /ieEauoO/ (or more, like French, but it's
another matter).

But almost everywhere, IIRC, VL stressed short e and o diphthongize-- Span.
"ie", "ue" in every environment, Ital. "ie" "uo" in open syllables but /E O/
in closed, and with exceptions of course. Romanian has "ea" and "oa" _I
think_ for these vowels, but I'm not sure.

OTOH it might be interesting instead to have the _long_ vowels diphthongize,
which strikes me as a more natural thing to happen. (More Germanic too)

You should hunt up one of the books on the Romance languages; I use W. D.
Elcock's, but there are more recent ones; and I think someone on the List
has cited an on-line source

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