Pre-Basque Phonology

[Rick Mc Callister]

	I've heard many times [including from a couple of women named
Maite] that Maite is an abbreviated form of Maria Teresa and tried to
figure out how you could get Maite from that name. The closest thing I
could think of was "Mari Tere", which are used separately in Spanish but,
as far as I know, not together.
 	I imagine that what may have happened was that Spanish speakers
asked what the name meant in Spanish and the parents just threw out Maria
Teresa because of the superficial resemblance. Although Maite is pretty
different from Maria, there isn't much else in Spanish that's close in
phonological terms.
	A similar thing has happened in the US Southwest where Spanish
Jesus is often "translated" as "Jesse", Fernando as "Freddy", Concepcion as
"Connie", Luz as "Lucy", Angeles as "Angie" or "Angela", Jesusa as "Susie"
or "Susan"

[snip]

>We also need to remember that under Franco there was an approved list of given
>(Christian) names and Basque ones were not included (nor were many others).

>So far I haven't found a single native Spanish speaker (or Basque one) who
>"recognized" Maite as an abbreviation of Maria Teresa. But I've only asked a
>dozen speakers so far.

>Then on your gloss of "maite" as "beloved", fine. But keep in mind, also that
>in English it is common for the expression "love" to be used as a form of
>address for another person, not just a female one, right, Love?

>Agur t'erdi,
>Roz

Rick Mc Callister
W-1634
Mississippi University for Women
Columbus MS 39701