Pre-Basque Phonology

[Max Wheeler]

-- Begin original message --

> From: "Roslyn M. Frank" <roz-frank at uiowa.edu>
> Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 17:08:57 -0500

> The test would be to see whether Spanish speakers from Andalucia recognize
> Maite as being composed of Maria Teresa or whether they would say that it
> sounds like a Basque name.

> 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.

-- End original message --

Well, so Maite isn't short for Maria Teresa in America. Big deal! It's pretty
universal in Spain, including, evidently, among people who have no connection
with the Basque country and have no reason to suppose that _maite_ is a
meaningful element in Basque.

Max
______________________________________________________________
Max W. Wheeler
School of Cognitive & Computing Sciences
University of Sussex
Falmer
BRIGHTON BN1 9QH, G.B.

Tel: +44 (0)1273 678975 Fax: +44 (0)1273 671320 Email: maxw at cogs.susx.ac.uk
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