Comments on: More on French names http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/more-on-french-names Language in a word Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:34:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Circeus http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/more-on-french-names#comment-733 Circeus Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:37:19 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/more-on-french-names#comment-733 While the -s did have an eclipse, the "l" (as is that in "pouls", where the -s was not restored in pronunciation) is a mere aberration of spelling, since all other mute "l"s in such positions were cut around the 12th and 13th century (e.g. the one reflected in English "false", mod. Fr. "faux"). Possibly that -l maintenance has to do with homonymie and etymology (God knows French likes its etymological letters)? While the -s did have an eclipse, the “l” (as is that in “pouls”, where the -s was not restored in pronunciation) is a mere aberration of spelling, since all other mute “l”s in such positions were cut around the 12th and 13th century (e.g. the one reflected in English “false”, mod. Fr. “faux”). Possibly that -l maintenance has to do with homonymie and etymology (God knows French likes its etymological letters)?

]]> By: JJM http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/more-on-french-names#comment-723 JJM Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:21:29 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/more-on-french-names#comment-723 There are a number of French words where the remnant final "-s" has come back into use over the centuries, e.g., "fils" (son) and "ours" (bear). The word "fils" is a bit of an oddity because it is pronounced "feess" with no "l" sound at all. You can also clearly detect its Latin ancestor "filius." There are a number of French words where the remnant final “-s” has come back into use over the centuries, e.g., “fils” (son) and “ours” (bear). The word “fils” is a bit of an oddity because it is pronounced “feess” with no “l” sound at all. You can also clearly detect its Latin ancestor “filius.”

]]> By: Athel Cornish-Bowden http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/more-on-french-names#comment-656 Athel Cornish-Bowden Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:10:54 +0000 http://www.linguism.co.uk/language/more-on-french-names#comment-656 Not so much a slip as a misconception. I really did think (from my stamp-collecting days, many years ago), that some British stamps issued for use in British post offices in Morocco, were overprinted "Tangiers". However, I was wrong, as can see from a stamp reproduced at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_post_offices_in_Morocco Not so much a slip as a misconception. I really did think (from my stamp-collecting days, many years ago), that some British stamps issued for use in British post offices in Morocco, were overprinted “Tangiers”. However, I was wrong, as can see from a stamp reproduced at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_post_offices_in_Morocco

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