Y, representing Latin dy, g´, gy, j, and z (cf. § 55, G, Y; § 57, Z)
had a varied development.
(1) When it became contiguous to a following consonant (§§ 45, 49) it
changed to i: _adjutāre_ ＞ _ayudāre_ ＞ ay’dar ＞ aidar, _medietātem_
＞ meitat; _cōgitāre_ ＞ cüidar, _frīgĕre_ ＞ frire, _lĕgĕre_ ＞ lęyre,
_propagĭnem_ ＞ probaina, _rĭgĭda_ ＞ rẹida, ✱_tragĕre_ ＞ traire;
_bajŭlus_ ＞ bailes.
(2) When it remained intervocalic, it became dž in most of the
territory, but in the northeast and parts of the north it was not
changed:[54] _audiam_ ＞ auia, _in-ŏdiare_ ＞ enoiar, _invĭdia_ ＞
envẹia, _invĭdiōsus_ ＞ enveiọs enveyọs, ✱_gladia_ ＞ glaya,
_mediānum_ ＞ meian, ✱_pŏdiāre_ ＞ poiar, _radiāre_ ＞ raiar, _sordĭdior_
＞ sordẹier, _vĭdeat_ ＞ vẹia; _fragĭlem_ ＞ fragel; ✱_exagiāre_ ＞
assatiar essaiar essayar, _corrĭgia_ ＞ corrẹia corrẹya, _fagea_ ＞
faia faya, _regiōnem_ ＞ reiọ; _dīe Jŏvís_ ＞ diiǫus, _major_ ＞ maier,
_pĕjor_ ＞ pięier, _pejōrem_ ＞ peiọr, _trŏja_ ＞ trǫia; _baptizāre_ ＞
bateiar. For a dž or a y that became final or contiguous to final s,
see § 63, (1), (2): _audio_ ＞ auch, _in ŏdio_ ＞ enuęg (plural enuętz
enuęg) enǫi, _gaudium_ ＞ gauch, _gladium_ ＞ glai, _mĕdium_ ＞ męg męi,
_hŏdie_ ＞ ǫi, _pŏdium_ ＞ puęg pǫi, _radium_ ＞ rai; _fŭgit_ ＞ füg füi,
_grĕgem_ ＞ gręy, _lēgem_ ＞ lẹg (pl. lẹitz) lẹi, _lĕgit_ ＞ lięg,
_magis_ mais,[55] _rēgem_ ＞ rẹi, _exagium_ ＞ essai; _pĕjus_ ＞ pięis.
(3) Before accented e or i, y disappeared (doubtless in Vulgar Latin: §
55, G), except in some western dialects, where it became dž: _vagīna_
＞ guaīna, ✱_legīre_ (= _lĕgĕre_) ＞ legir,[56] _magĭster_ ＞ maẹstre
maiẹstre magẹstre, ✱_pagē(n)sis_ ＞ paẹs pagẹs, _regīna_ ＞ reïna,
_sagĭtta_ ＞ saẹta saiẹta sagẹta.
1. _Detz_ _ditz_ ＞ _dĭgĭtus_ are irregular and unexplained. The
word is irregular in some other Romance languages, notably in
Italian. Cf. Gröber’s _Grundriss_, I, p. 507.
2. _Glavi_, beside _glai_ (and learned _glazi_) ＜ _gladium_, is
supposed by some to show the influence of Celtic _cládibo_. Cf.
Körting; also H. Schuchardt, _Zs._, XXV, 345.
3. _Messér_ seems to be a contraction (due to proclitic
use) of ✱_messeyer_ = _mes_, ‘my’, + ✱_seyer_? ＜ ✱_sĕyor_ =
_sĕnior_ (cf. A. Lindström, _L’analogie dans la déclinaison des
substantifs latins en Gaule_, 1897-8, pp. 292-3).
4. In purely learned words, _di_, _g_, _gi_, _z_ are retained,
the _g_ being pronounced presumably as dž, the _z_ as z: _odi_,
_fragil_, _regio_, _canonizar_.