68. The groups of two consonants will be treated in alphabetical order.
It will be seen that bl, rl, sl remained unchanged; ml developed a
glide consonant between its two members; pl, tl, βl and yl respectively
voiced, assimilated, and vocalized their first element; while cl, gl
were fused into l´. For an explanation of this last phenomenon, see §
79.
Bl ＞ bl: _nĕbŭla_ ＞ nębla, ✱_oblītāre_ ＞ oblidar, _sabulōnem_ ＞
sablọn.[59]
βl ＞ ul: _fabŭla_ ✱_faβla_ ＞ faula, _sibilāre_ ✱_siβlāre_ ＞ siular,
_tabŭla_ ✱_taβla_ ＞ taula.
Cl ＞ l´: _genŭcŭlum_ ＞ genọlh, _ŏcŭlum_ ＞ ǫlh, _sĭtŭla_ ✱_sĭcla_[60] ＞
sẹlha, _vĕtŭla_ _vĕcla_[60] ＞ vęlha. In learned words we find gl, cl:
✱_e(c)clĕsia_ ＞ glęiza, _joculārem_ ＞ ioglar, _sæcŭlum_ ＞ sęgle sęcle.
C´l ＞ il: _gracĭlem_ ＞ graile.
Dl ＞ dl, which during the literary period became ll and then l:
_mŏdŭlum_ ＞ ✱mǫdle mǫlle.
Gl ＞ l´: _rēgŭla_ ＞ rẹlha, ✱_strĭgŭla_ ＞ estrẹlha, _vĭg(ĭ)lat_
＞ vẹlha. Lẹula ＜ _lĕgŭla_, tẹula ＜ _tēgŭla_ are irregular: cf.
_Archivio glottologico italiano_, XIII, 439, 459.
Ml ＞ mbl: _sĭmĭlāre_ ＞ semblar, _trĕmŭlat_ ＞ trẹmbla. In _sembrar_ we
find an r ＜ l due perhaps to the analogy of membrar ＜ _memorāre_. _In
semel_ gives ensẹmble essẹms.
Pl ＞ bl: _cōpŭla_ ＞ cọbla, _dŭplum_ ＞ dọble. Learned words have pl:
_duplicar_.
Rl ＞ rl: _Carŏlus_ ＞ Carles, _hōrolŏgium_ ＞ orlǫi, ✱_paraulare_ ＞
parlar.
Sl ＞ sl: _ī(n)sŭla_ ＞ isla. For _ilha_, see § 65, S, 1.
Tl ＞ tl, which during the literary period became ll and then l:
_rŏtŭlum_ ＞ rǫtle rǫlle, _spathūla_ ＞ espatla espalla espala. In really
popular words tl had become cl in Vulgar Latin.[61]
Yl ＞ il: _bajŭlus_ ＞ bailes. Cf. § 65, Y, (1).
69. A group of three consonants remained unchanged, except that double
consonants became single: _ambulāre_ ＞ amblar, _implēre_ ＞ emplir,
_avŭncŭlus_ ＞ avọncles, _cĭrcŭlus_ ＞ cẹrcles, _mascŭlus_ ＞ mascles,
✱_afflammāre ＞ aflamar_, _inflāre_ ＞ enflar, _ŭngŭla_ ＞ ọngla,
_emplastrum_ ＞ emplastre.
1. _Selcle_, beside _cercle_, seems to show an assimilation
of the r to the l of the next syllable. _Empastre_, beside
_emplastre_, has been influenced by _pasta_. _Emblar_ is
probably from V. L. ✱_imbolare_ = _involare_.