`zebra'

[Steven A. Gustafson]

Nik Taylor wrote:

> > -asinu(m)- ?> -ezebra-.

> However, it wasn't in --> br, it was min --> mn --> mr --> mbr.  in -->
> br has no phonological motivation.  It's a very unlikely change.

Actually it seemed to me to be somewhat unlikely as well; just a
thought, really.

There does seem be a Latin noun-making suffix -ber, found in the names
of the months, and words like -tuber- (tu[mescere] + ber) and -uber-
(related to Gk. -outhar- and E. -udder-).  This suffix was apparently
still productive in late Latin, being added to late borrowed words like
-zingiber- (ginger) and used to form -coluber- (viper).  The 'e' here
was usually weak, at least in words of three or more syllables.
-Coluber- has the attested alternative and feminine form -colubra-, and
the months, of course, decline "September, Septembris. . ."

This alternation is also found in early modern English, or at least
early modern American, where, especially after a long vowel, -CrV
frequently alternated with -CR, with a syllabic 'R,' and often with the
preceding vowel shortened.  Noah Webster proposed "zeber" as a spelling
pronunciation of 'zebra,' though whether he intended 'zeeber,' 'zebber,'
or 'zibber' is a tad unclear to me, the pronunciation being obsolete.
This alternation is of course also attested in an infamous letter by
John Rolfe.

AAR, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the original might
have had -ber instead of -bra.

--
Steven A. Gustafson, attorney at law
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