74. (1) Of the groups beginning with l (and not ending in l, r, w, or
y), the following remained unchanged (except that c before a became
tš in the north and northwest).-- lb, lc (and llc), lg (llg), lm,
lp, lv: _alba_ ＞ alba; _calcāre_ ＞ calcar, _collocāre_ ✱_colcāre_ ＞
colcar (-char); _collocare_ ✱_collogare_ ✱_colgare_ ＞ colgar; _hëlm_ ＞
ęlm, _ŭlmum_ ＞ ọlm; _cŏlăphum_ ✱_cŏlpum_ ＞ cǫlp (κόλπος ＞ gọlfe is
unexplained); _calvum_ ＞ _calv_ (= calf?), _salvāre_ ＞ salvar. Ld, ls
(lls), lt (llt) were regularly unchanged except for the vocalization of
the l: see below. Lc´ (llc´) became lts, and then the l was vocalized:
see below. Lc´p became lp in _calce pīsāre_ ＞ calpisar. Lg´, llg´,
have been treated in § 73. Lvs, lvt became ls, lt, and then the l was
vocalized: see below.
(2) L became u before the dental consonants d, s, t in most of the
dialects. The vocalization seems to have begun in the 8th century
and to have progressed through the literary period and later. It
is difficult to trace it, as _l_ long continued to be written for
u. In modern Provençal, ls remains in Languedoc, lt in Rouergue.
_Auça_ occurs in the _Boeci_. The l was probably first retracted, to
differentiate it from the following dental; and then this velar l was
opened into u. Ex.: _cal(ĭ)daria_ ＞ caudiera, _cal(ĭ)dum_ ＞ caut,
_sŏl(ĭ)dum_ ＞ sǫlt sǫut; _falsum_ ＞ fals faus, _malos_ ＞ mals maus,
_valles_ ＞ vals vaus; ✱_fallĭta_ ＞ fauta, _mŭltum_ ＞ mọlt mọut,
✱_tŏllĭtum_ ＞ tǫlt tǫut; _dŭlcem_ ＞ dọlz dọutz dọus, _pŏllĭcem_ ＞
pǫutz, _salĭcem_ ＞ sautz; _calvus_ ＞ ✱cals caus, ✱_vŏlvĭta_ ＞ vǫlta
vǫuta. So ✱_altiat_ ＞ auça aussa, ✱_calceare_ ＞ cauçar caussar: cf. §
73, Lc´y, Lty. In dọs (= dọus) and mọt (= mọut) the ọ seems to
have absorbed the u. Cf. § 65, L.
1. The final t of _molt_ seems to have been lost sometimes
before a consonant: hence _mul_, which, influenced by _man_,
‘many’, became _mon_.
2. _Altretal_ (also _autretal_) became _atretal_ by
dissimilation; hence we have also _atressi_ for _altressi_
(_autressi_). _Aital_, _aitan_ seem to be made up of _tal_,
_tan_ with the first syllable of _aissi_ (＜ _ac sīc_), regarded
as a prefix meaning ‘just’.