62. There are three classes of groups: those ending in l or r, those
ending in w, and those beginning with s:--
(1) Bl, br, cl, cr, dr, gl, gr, pl, pr, tr underwent no change:
_blasphemāre_ ＞ blasmar, _brĕvem_ ＞ bręu, _clarus_ ＞ clars, _crŭcem_ ＞
crọtz, _drappus_ ＞ draps, _glaciem_ ＞ glatz, _gradum_ ＞ gra, _plēnum_
＞ plẹn, _precāre_ ＞ pregar, _trans_ ＞ tras. Gras is from _grassus_, a
fusion of _crassus_ and _grossus_. For grǫcs ＜ κρόκος see § 57, κ.
(2) Gw (Germanic w) and kw (Latin qu) were reduced, perhaps in the 10th
century, to g and k, except in the west, where the w was retained:
_wahta_ ＞ gaita guaita, _warjan_ ＞ garir guarir, _wërra_ ＞ gęrra
guęrra, _wīsa_ ＞ gisa guisa; _quando_ ＞ can quan, _quare_ ＞ car quar.
It should be noted that the _u_ was commonly kept in the spelling
(especially before e and i) after it had ceased to be pronounced, _gu_
and _qu_ being regarded merely as symbols for “hard” g and c. For cinc
＜ _quīnque_, see § 87, kw. Sw remained in _suavem_ ＞ suau.
(3) To groups beginning with s a vowel had been prefixed in Vulgar
Latin (§ 55, S); this vowel appears in Provençal as e. Sc´ apparently
did not occur in any popular word; sl early became scl; the other
groups (sc, scl, scr, sp, st, str) remained unchanged, except that in
the north and northeast sc ＞ stš before a: _scala_ ＞ escala eschala,
_schŏa_ ＞ escǫla, _slahta_ ＞ ✱_sclatta_ ＞ esclata, _scrībĕre_ ＞
escriure, _spīna_ ＞ espina, _stare_ ＞ estar, _strĭngĕre_ ＞ estrẹnher.