244

The Loom of Language

LATIN
ITALIAN
SPANISH
PORTUGUESI
FRENCH
ENGLISH

CAPILLO
capcllo
cabello
cabelo
cheveu
hair

CAPRA
capra
cabra
chfcvre
goat

LEPORE
Icpie
hcbic
Icbre
h&vre
hare

OPERARIO
operaio
obrero
obrciro
ouvner
worker

SAPERE
sapcrc
saber
savoir
to know

SAPORE
saporc
sabor
savcur
taste

BIBERE
bevere
bcber
boirc
to dnnk

CABALLO
cavallo
caballo
cavalo
cheval
hone

FEBRE
febbrc
iiebrc
fcbre
fI6vre
fever

HABERE
avcre
habcr
haver
avoir
to have

PROBARE
provaic
probar
piovar
prouvcr
to pi ove

and ue In French the latter became a sound like o in German* It is
written -EU in the ensuing examples

LATIN
ITALIAN
SPANTSII
POR1UGUBS>L
FRTNCH

PFDE PETRA
piede pictra
pw picdxa
P6 pcdia
plCd
pierrc

TENET
tiene
tcm
uent

DECEM
diecx
dlC7,
dc/
due

MORIT
muoie
muere
morrc
meurt

POfLT NOVO
pu6 nuovo
puedc nucvo
podc novo
peut neuf

FOCO PROBA
fuoco pruova
tuego piueba
fogo prova
feu prcuvc

LNGLISH
foot

tfonc
he hohh
ten

he dies
he can
new
fire
proof

In general Latin had fewer compound vowels than its descendants
The most prominent one, au9 has become a simple vowel in all our
four Romance languages, Its descendant is spelt O m Italian and
Spanish, OU or 01 in Portuguese, and 0 or AU m French.

LATIN
ITALIAN
SPANISH
PORTUGUESE
FRENCH
ENGLISH

AURO
oro
ouro
or
gold

CAUSA
cosa
cousa
chose
thing

PAUPERI
povero
pobre
pauvre
poor

Another common tendency at work during the period of differentia-
tion of the Romance dialects is reflected in spelling. Spanish, Portu~