NSemitic borrowings: in response to Greg Web

[Miguel Carrasquer Vidal]

tvn at cis.uni-muenchen.de (Theo Vennemann) wrote:

>Miguel Carrasquer Vidal mcv at wxs.nl wrote:

>>The <a> in <zazpi> is mysterious, and we need
>>a metathesis *zapzi > zazpi, which in itself isn't too much of a
>>problem, not in a borrowed item.  I'd like to know what the <a>
>>is doing in Welsh saith (< *saxt < *sapt- ??).

Oops.  *s- should have given h- wouldn't it?  Now I really don't
understand that Welsh form...  Can anybody please shed some
light?

>However, trying
>to solve the Basque problem by referring to Gaulish or Celtiberian
>is a bit like ignotum per ignotius.

Not really.  Welsh is pretty well known.  And Gaulish and
Celtiberian are better attested than, if you don't mind me saying
so, "Atlantic".

=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv at wxs.nl
Amsterdam