punch not < panc

[Tom Wier]

Nicholas Widdows wrote:

> In summary, it first occurs in English in 1632, and is repeatedly cited,
> always with <u> and with variable ingredients; the expression <bowl of
> punch> then turns up in Continental languages as <bolleponge>, <palepuntz>,
> <bouleponges>, <palepunshen>. Clearly at this date it was pronounced with
> [u]. No suitable Indian language has [u] in 'five'.

If it were [u], why would it have been carried over into (what
I presume to be) French with what looks like an [O]?  It seems
[U] would be a better candidate than [u], which French certainly
has.

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Tom Wier <artabanos at mail.utexas.edu>
AIM: Deuterotom ICQ: 4315704
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"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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