la leche

[Rick Mc Callister]

David:
	I'd like to hear more about this.
	I've wondered if these oddball forms were based on Latin neuters,
where (in a very few cases) the singular (in Spanish individual or
despreciative/diminutive) was analyzed as masculine and the plural (in
Spanish generic or augmentative) was analyzed as feminine.
	BUT although Latin lignum --source of len~o/len~a-- is neuter; as
is Latin canistrum
	Latin materia --source of madero, madera-- is feminine, as is cista
--source of cesta, cesto
	I'm curious about how these constructions arose from the Latin
feminine form
	Re Spanish cesta/cesto & canasta/canasto, in some areas the
masculine refers to a tall narrow basket and the feminine to a short wide
basket
	You're correct about canasto and cesto being pretty rare. On the
other hand, charco is the form I've always heard. I've only seen charca as
a toponym, in literary Spanish or in linguistic discussions
	BTW: Does anyone know the origin of charca/charco?

>Masculine forms: <madero>, <leqo (len~o)>, <canasto>, <cesto>

>are rather than proper masucline forms, despective forms to
>indicate insignifcancy (clearly this is the case with <canasto>
>and <cesto>. They are very unusual and they are in some sense
>vulgar terms than never appear in polite speech.

>Feminine forms <madera>, <leqa (len~a)>, <canasta>, <cesta>
>are all very usual and neutral.

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