la leche

[David Sanchez]

> 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.

I think your analysis above is pretty correct in fact <leqo> (<len~o>)
is singular, it always refers to a single object, and <leqa> to a set of
<len~os>, just as sg. lignum / pl. ligna

> 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

I'am also courious about.

> 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?

In fact <charco> refers to temporal and little stagnation (?) of water after
rain, and <charca> is usually referred to stable stagnation of water. About
its origin it must be pre-roman, I think.

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