<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.8px">dear Martha, dear all,</span></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><i><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.8px">> </span><span style="font-size:12.8px">I had always thought of excrescence as a sound change that operates on individual words in an unpredictable fashion</span></font></i></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.8px">I think such processes </span><span style="font-size:12.8px">of epenthesis</span><span style="font-size:12.8px"> </span><span style="font-size:12.8px">are often quite regular, and easily explained. </span></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.8px">In the examples you cite, consonant epenthesis (I haven't heard the term "excrescence") result from a simple rule whereby a nasal consonant is denasalised when it comes in contact with a non-nasal consonant, </span><span style="font-size:12.8px">e.g. *mr > *m<b>b</b>r; *nr > *n<b>d</b>r...</span></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Such processes are very regular indeed in Indo-European. </span>Old French has inherited many forms from Latin which underwent a syncope, resulting in consonant epenthesis between the consonants now in contact. Here are a few examples:</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">Fr. sem<b>b</b>ler < Lat. *sim(i)lāre ‘seem’</font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">ensem<b>b</b>le < *in-sim(u)l </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘together’</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">trem<b>b</b>ler < *trem(u)lāre </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘shiver’</span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">com<b>b</b>ler < *cum(u)lāre </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘fill up’</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">cham<b>b</b>re < *cam(e)ra </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘room’</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">nom<b>b</b>re < *num(e)rum </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘number’</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">Eng. remem<b>b</b>er < O.Fr. remembrer < Late Lat. *re-mem(o)rāre</font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">cen<b>d</b>re < *cin(e)rem</span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘ashes’</span><br></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">ten<b>d</b>re < *ten(e)rum </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘tender, soft’</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">pon<b>d</b>re < *pōn(e)re </font></span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">lay (egg)</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">’</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">cou</span><b style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">d</b><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">re < *cōs(e)re < consuere </span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘sew’</span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">mou<b>d</b>re < mol(e)re </span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘grind’</span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">pou<b>d</b>re < *polre < *pulvere </span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"> </font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px">‘dust, powder’</span></div></blockquote><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">(NB: after I wrote this, I just realised Matthieu's post, who also cites some examples of Romance.)</font></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.8px">See also </span><span style="font-size:12.8px">Greek </span></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><ul><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">ἀνήρ /anēr/ 'man', <br>genitive ἀν<b>δ</b>ρός<span style="font-size:12.8px"> /andr-os/ < *anr-os<br></span> </font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">Μεσημ<b>β</b>ρία <span style="font-size:12.8px">/mes-ēmbria/ 'mid-day, South' < *mes-ēmr-ia <br>(cf. ἡμέρα *hēméra 'day')<br></span> </font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">ἄμ<b>β</b>ροτος /ambrotos/ 'immortal' < *a-mro-to-s < *n̻-mr̻-t-o-s [cf. Skr अमृत amṛta]<br>(hence Eng. ambrosia)</font></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_default"><div><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">______</font></span></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">Finally, the phenomenon is also known in the Oceanic languages of Vanuatu where I work. In Malakula (an island with <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__alex.francois.online.fr_AlexFrancois-5FVanuatu-2Dlanguages-5Fmap-2De.htm&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=eC7NE845eUhmRkOYoJFp4elhovp54xy_F3MiPHAUn2E&e=">42 different languages</a>!) it is common to find languages whose phoneme inventories include two prenasalised trills. Phonologically, these are:</font></span></div><div><ul><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">an alveolar trill /<b>ⁿr/</b></font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">a bilabial trill /<b>ᵐ</b><span style="font-size:12.8px"><b>ʙ</b>/</span><br></font></li></ul></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Quite expectedly, the phonetic realisation of these two phonemes is respectively [n<b>d</b>r] and [m<b>b</b></span><span style="font-size:12.8px">ʙ]. Try them at home: I find it difficult to pronounce sequences /nr/ and /mʙ/ without inserting these transitional sounds. :-)</span></font></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">best</font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">Alex</font></span></div><div class="gmail_extra" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="1" color="#134f5c"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",Corbel,Candara,Verdana,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;display:inline"></div>_________</span><br style="font-family:"Segoe UI",Corbel,Candara,Verdana,sans-serif;text-align:justify"></font><p style="font-family:"Segoe UI",Corbel,Candara,Verdana,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><font color="#134f5c"><span style="font-size:x-small">Alex François</span><br></font></p><p style="font-family:"Segoe UI",Corbel,Candara,Verdana,sans-serif;text-align:justify"><font size="1" color="#134f5c"><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lacito.vjf.cnrs.fr_index-5Fen.htm&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=YWgBnBBGgYeLaO0CUs7VjWcgyz_bFoNZHPnkRgYw1fc&e=" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><img src="http://alex.francois.free.fr/img/Logo-LACITO_s.png" alt="programme" width="96" height="36" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"></a>Directeur, <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lacito.vjf.cnrs.fr_membres_francois-5Fen.htm&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=9xZgDEJFsxFfuXYsBLxVMvZx2Q7jL_zbR-RRNRP-tfY&e=" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none">LACITO-CNRS</a>, France<br><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__researchers.anu.edu.au_researchers_francois-2Da&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=3Ova06OTIYFaR4Du8V9osjSraKEjKV1C4eoSjraJ9MU&e=" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none">Australian National University</a>, Canberra<br><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__cnrs.academia.edu_AlexFran-25C3-25A7ois&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=11Np-Z7mB3UHBpqzFe6BPuSp1u8FlPlq8iRUB7MqyIU&e=" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none">Academia page</a> – <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__alex.francois.online.fr_&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=tQ9lHf_Efmm7fpkQafO-NkFgxaJt2JIizHsBsVxVOu0&e=" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none">Personal homepage</a><br><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lacito.hypotheses.org_&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=B2r5nDAQWiRdsB1G3bY9CGEFjOXz1DvuW-OBEWETcl4&e=" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none">Les Carnets du LaCiTO</a><br><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lacito.hypotheses.org_lacito_calendrier&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=xWgwnXzyLjTDtEN1jkc-sliD_cd49k7fc7XSMi_8aeo&m=ymCl1L_HJ5AkF9fapssHPXWyzTYBo52LZCwNogZNsk0&s=Fv7mhHwluEKmzR4PvqPcZE6SCFDY2r_KglKgs25YKzI&e=" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none">Prochainement au LaCiTO</a><br></font></p><hr style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:medium"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 13 September 2017 at 20:46, Martha Ratliff <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ac6000@wayne.edu" target="_blank">ac6000@wayne.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<p class="MsoNormal">Does anyone know of a reconstruction in which someone has posited a regular change involving insertion of a consonant between two other consonants? I had always thought of excrescence as a sound change that operates on individual words
in an unpredictable fashion (that is, the low-level transitional consonant is phonologized unpredictably), but am wondering if there are cases where someone believes it to have operated in a regular, rule-governed fashion to an entire set of words.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am especially interested in insertions of the “thim<u>b</u>le”/“hom<u>b</u>re” type, but would be interested in examples of the “Ham<u>p</u>shire” type as well.
<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many thanks in advance!</p><span class="gmail-HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Martha Ratliff<u></u><u></u></p>
</font></span></div>
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