75. Of the groups beginning with m (and not ending in l, r, w, or
y), the following usually remained unchanged--mb, md, mf, mp, ms,
mt: _gamba_ ＞ gamba (if _bobansa_ is from βόμβος, it is irregular);
✱_semitarium_ ✱_semidarium_ ＞ semdięr; _triumphāre_ ＞ triomfar;
_lampas_ ✱_lampa_ ＞ lampa; ✱_camisīle_? ＞ camsil (dialectically cansil;
so Samson, Sanso); _cŏmĭtem_ ＞ comte (dialectically conte). For mbd
in _ambo dŭos_ see § 111, 2. Mn in the literary language generally
remained unchanged (often spelled _mpn_), but in some dialects it was
assimilated into nn, which was locally simplified into n: _dŏmĭna_
_dŏmna_ ＞ dompna domna donna dona, _damnāre_ ＞ dampnar damnar dannar
danar, _fēmĭna_ ✱_fēmna_ ＞ fẹmna fẹnna (_feme_ is from _fémena_ ＜
_fēmĭna_),[75] _hŏmĭnem_ ✱_hŏmnem_ ＞ omne (_ome_ is from ✱_ómene_ ＜
_hŏmĭnem_).[75] When final, it regularly became n, occasionally m:
_damnum_ ＞ dan, _somnum_ ＞ son som.[76] Mnc´ ＞ ndz nz in ✱_domnicĭlla_
＞ donzẹla. Mpt mt ＞ mt, dialectically nt: _computāre_ ＞ comtar contar,
_temptāre_ ＞ temptar tentar; _domitāre_ ＞ domptar.[77]
76. (1) Of the groups beginning with n (and not ending in l, r, w,
or y), the following generally remained unchanged (except that c, g
before a became tš, dž in the north and northeast)--nc, nd, ng, nm,
nt: _hanka_ ＞ anca, _blank-_ ＞ blanc (-ca -cha), _franko_ ＞ franc
(-ca -cha); _mandāre_ ＞ mandar, _ŭnda_ ＞ ọnda; _lŏngum_ ＞ lonc (-ga
-ia), _plango_ ＞ planc, _rĭng_ ＞ rẹnc; _anĭma_ ＞ anma (also, by
dissimilation, arma); _sentīre_ ＞ sentir. For _final_ nd, nt, see
(2) below. Nc´ ＞ nts ns: ✱_francē(n)sis_ ＞ francẹs, _mancĭpium_ ＞
mansip (also massip: cf. ns below), _vĭncere_ ＞ vẹncer vẹnser. Nct
became in different dialects n´ int nt ntš: _jŭnctum_ ＞ iọnh ioint
iọnt iọnch, _ŭnctūra_ ＞ onchüra, ✱_pĭnctūra_ ＞ peintüra penchüra,
_planctum_ ＞ planh planch, _sanctum_ ＞ sanh saint sant. Ndc´ became,
in different dialects, ndz (later nz), nts, ndž: _quīndĕcim_ ＞ quinze
quintze quinge. Ndt ＞ nd nt: ✱_rendĭta_ ＞ renda renta. Nf remained in
some dialects, while in others it became ff, then f: _confŭndit_ ＞
confọn cofọn, _infantem_ ＞ enfant effant efant, _infĕrnum_ ＞ enfęrn
efęrn. Ng ＞ ng: _mŏnăchum_ ✱_mon’gu_ ＞ mongue (_manĭcum_ ＞ margue by
dissimilation). Ns, in learned words and new formations (see § 55, N),
remained in most dialects, while in others (especially those of the
centre) it became ss, then s; _consĭlium_ ＞ consẹlh cossẹlh, _in
sĭml_ ＞ ensẹm essẹm, ✱_insignāre_ ＞ ensenhar essenhar, _pensāre_ ＞
pensar pessar, _sensus_ ＞ sens; for _final_ ns, see § 63, (5). Ntc´ ＞
nts ns in _pantĭcem_ ＞ pansa. Nv remained in some dialects, while in
others it became vv, then v: _convenīre_ ＞ convenir covenir. Ndc, ndg,
n-g, ng´ have been treated under § 73.
(2) Final nd remained as nt in the eastern and central part of the
territory, became n in the west and a part of Limousin, and disappeared
altogether in a part of Languedoc and Gascony: _amando_ ＞ aman,
_descĕndit_ ＞ deissẹn, _grandem_ ＞ grant gran gra, _mŭndum_ ＞ mọnt
mọn, _vēndit_ ＞ vẹnt bẹn, _profŭndum_ ＞ preọn, _quando_ ＞ quant
quan. Final nt remained in most of the territory, but in a part of
Languedoc and Gascony became n or disappeared: _fŏntem_ ＞ font fon fo,
_mŏntem_ ＞ mont mon, _quantum_ ＞ quant quan, _vĕntum_ ＞ vent bent be.
For _efanh_, _parenh_, _monh_ ＜ _mŭndi_, etc., see § 51, 1.
77. Of the groups beginning with r (and not ending in l, r, w, or y),
the following remained unchanged (except that c, g before a became
tš, dž in the north and northeast)--rb, rc, rd, rf, rg, rm, rn,
rp, rs, rt, rv: _barba_ ＞ barba, _cŏrbum_ ＞ corp; _barca_ ＞ barca,
_cĭrcāre_ ＞ cercar, _clĕrĭcum_ ✱_clĕrcum_ ＞ clęrc, _fŭrca_ ＞ fọrca
fọrcha, _mercātum_ ＞ mercat; _ardĕntem_ ＞ arden, ✱_perdūtum_ ＞ perdüt,
_vĭr(ĭ)dem_ ＞ vẹrt; _ŏrphănum_ ＞ ǫrfe; ✱_carricāre_ ✱_carrigāre_
✱_cargāre_ ＞ cargar cariar, _largum_ ＞ larc (-ga -ia), _sērĭca_
✱_sēr’ga_ ＞ sẹrga; _ĕ́rēmum_ ＞ ęrm, _fōrma_ ＞ fọrma; _hibĕrnum_ ＞
ivęrn, _tabĕrna_ ＞ tavęrna, _tornāre_ ＞ tornar; _wërpan_ ＞ guerpir;
_arsum_ ＞ ars, _cŭrsum_ ＞ cọrs (for _vĕrsus_ ＞ vęs, see § 55, R);
_artem_ ＞ art, _fŏrtem_ ＞ fǫrt; _servīre_ ＞ servir. For _final_ rn,
rs, see § 63, (5); § 65, R. Rc´> rts rs: _parcĕre_ ＞ parcer, _parcit_
＞ partz, ✱_tŏrcĕre_ ＞ tǫrser. Rdc´ became, in different dialects,
rdz (later rz), rts, rdž: _quatuŏrdĕcim_ ✱_quattōrdĕcim_ ＞ quatọrze
quatọrtze quatọrge. Rdg before a ＞ rg, rdž: _vĭridicantem_
✱_vĭrdigantem_ ＞ verguan verian. Rdt ＞ rd: _perdĭta_ ＞ pęrda. Rps ＞ rs:
✱_escarpsus_ (= _excerptus_) ＞ escars. Rtm ＞ rtm or rm: _fŏrti mĕnte_ ＞
fortmen formen. For rg´ see § 73.
78. Of the groups beginning with s (and not ending in l, r, w, or y),
the following usually remained unchanged through the literary period
(except that c before a became tš in the north and northeast)--sc,
sm (ssm), sn, sp, st: ✱_bŭscum_ (? = _bŭxum_)? ＞ bọsc, ✱_lŭscum_
＞ lọsc, _pascha_ ＞ pasca pascha, _pĕrsĭca_ _pĕssĭca_ ✱_pĕsca_ ＞
pęsca, _piscātor_ ＞ pescaire, _piscarium_ ＞ pesquier peschier,
_þrëscan_ ✱_trescāre_ ＞ trescar; _ex-mĭttĕre_ ✱_esmĭttĕre_ (§ 55, X)
＞ esmẹtre, _pĕssĭmus_ ＞ pęsmes; _eleemŏsy̆na_ ＞ almǫsna, _asĭnum_ ＞
asne; _expōnĕre_ ✱_espōnĕre_ ＞ espọnre, _gaspildjan_? ＞ guespilhar;
_præpŏsĭtum_ ＞ prebǫst, _trīstem_ ＞ trist. For _final_ scs, sts, see 2
below. Sc´ became, in most of the territory, is; in parts of the north
and northeast, s; in the west and the extreme east, i(t)š and (t)š
(cf. § 73, Ssy): _co(g)nōscĕre_ ＞ conọisser, _crēscĕre_ ＞ crẹisser,
_ex-cĕrnĕre_ ✱_escĕrnīre_ ＞ eissernir, ✱_ex-cerebellāre_ ✱_es-_ ＞
esservelar, _fascem_ ＞ fais, _nascĕre_ ＞ naisser nasser naicher
nacher, _pĭscem_ ＞ pẹis pẹich pẹch. Scb became sb in _epĭscŏpus_
✱_ebíscobus_ ＞ bisbes (also bispes and ebesques). Spm became sm in
_blasphemāre_ ＞ blasmar. Spt ＞ st: _hŏspĭtem_ ＞ ǫste (also ǫsde). Stg
became sg and sdž in _domesticāre_ ✱_-gāre_ ＞ domesgar domesiar. Stm
became sm in _asthma_ ＞ asma. For the later history of the s in all
these groups, see § 65, S, 1.
1. _Prĕsby̆ter_ became regularly pręstre: § 71, 1. But beside
_prĕsby̆ter_ there existed in Vulgar Latin _prebĭter_ (_Einf._,
§ 140), the syllable _pres-_ being replaced by the Latin
prefx _præ-_ or _pre-_, through the analogy of such words as
_præbĭtor_, _præposĭtus_. From the accusative _prebĭtĕrum_ we
have regularly prevẹire. Pręire is a cross between pręstre and
prevẹire.
2. Final sts, in nearly all the territory, was reduced to ts:
_finïstis_ ＞ finitz, _hŏstis_ ＞ ǫz (accusative ǫst), _trīstes_
＞ tritz (sg. trist); but sts was kept in ẹstz ＜ _ĭstos_ and
in its derivative aquẹstz. Similarly final scs was generally
reduced to cs: ✱_bŭscus_? ＞ (bǫcs) bǫcs (accusative bǫsc),
_quĭsquis_ ＞ quẹcs.
3. _Conois_ etc. ＜ _co(g)nōsco_ etc. (beside _conosc_ etc.)
are doubtless due to the second and third persons (_conoisses_
_conois_ etc.). Some of the modern eastern dialects have
_-isso_ corresponding to _-sca_ (_freisso_ etc.): this seems to
indicate an old metathesis of sc in that region.