Revue celtique - National Library of Scotland

THE LOSS OF INDO-EUROPEAN P
IN THE CELTIC LANGUAGES.
The loss of p in the Celtic languages and its présence in the same,
by Dr. Windisch, in Kuhn's Beitrsege, vol. viij. pp. 1-48 (Berlin,
1874).
Some remarks on the Celtic additions [by D^ Windischl to Curtius' Greek
Etymology, byWhitley Stokes, vice-président ofthe Philological Society
and honorary member of the German Oriental Society, pp. 59 octavo
(Calcutta, 1874).
Thèse two papers are so fuU of interestthat no apologyneed be made
for noticing them hère : it is not, however, intended to give the reader
anything approaching an exhaustive review of them especially as the
latter of the two is quite a budget of interesting etymologies which could
only be discussed in détail — ; it is hère proposed to trace the fortunes of
the letter p in the Celtic languages as treated by both writers. Il is
agreed that original p disappears in Celtic words and Windisch enume-
rates 30 instances in point : they are briefly the following :
1. Ir. arco, 'I beseech', Welsh erchi, 'to bid, to beg', from the root
PARK whence Latin precw, etc.
2. Ir. ath, genitive atha, 'a ford', to be compared withGr. 7:x-:o; and
Lat. pons, pontis. Mod. Welsh adwy 'a gap, a pass', possibly belongs
hère.
3. !r. athir, 'a father', Lat. pater, lost in Welsh unless preserved in
;he p. n. Adran (Myv. Arch. pp. 389, 404). Cf. Gaulish Ater and
Aterni.
4. Ir. elammar (conjunctive), we err', : compare
Welsh cyf-eiliorn,
a straying, error'. The relation which Windisch suggests between
he Irish forms and German fallen is doubtful.
Rev. Celt. Il 2 2