Historical Linguistic Analysis of a Selection from Libro de Buen Amor
Here I present a historical linguistic analysis of 12 words from Juan Ruiz’s fourteenth century text Libro de Buen Amor. Each entry begins with the Latin etymon of the word, the version from Libro de Buen Amor, and the modern reflex with the stressed syllable in the Latin etymon is underlined. Within each entry I will fill in the other steps of the word’s evolution and explain the processes behind each evolution.
- PREHESIONEM /pre-en-si-on-is/ > PRESION /pre-sion/ > PRISIÓN /pri-sjón/
/pre-es-ion-is/ > /pre-es-ion/ via gradual lenition of the word final syllable. First was complete lenition of the voiced bilabial nasal /m/ and then lenition of the word-final high-mid front vowel /e/.
/pre-es-ion/ > /pre-si-on/ via syncope of the unstressed syllable /en/.
/pre-sjón/ > /pri-sjón/ via vowel raising due to /j/ in the following syllable. The high-mid front vowel /e/ raises its place of articulation to a high front vowel /i/.
- IUDAEUS /iu-daj-us/ > JODIOS /jo-dí-os/ > JUDÍOS /xu-dí-os/
/iu-dae-us/ > /iu-daj-os/ via typical evolution of the word-final high back vowel /u/ to the high-mid back vowel /o/.
/iu-daj-os/ > /xu-daj-os/ via palatization. This is the original creation of a yod, where /i+vowel/, in this case /iu/, becomes /x/.
/xu-daj-os/ > /xo-daj-os/ via regular evolution of the short stressed high back vowel /u/ to the high-mid back vowel /o/.
/jo-daj-os/ > /jo-dí-os/ via an exceptional evolution of the unstressed dipthong /ae/ to the high front vowel /i/.
/jo-dí-os/ > /ju-dí-os/ via vowel raising due to /j/ in the following syllable. The high-mid back vowel /o/ raises its place of articulation to a high back vowel /o/.
- REGINA /re-gi-na/ > REYNA /rei-na/ > REÍNA /rei-na/
/re-gi-na/ > /rei-na/ via complete lenition of the intervocalic lingua-velar voiced stop /g/.
The form “REYNA” which appears in Libro de Buen Amor is pronounced /rej-na/, same as the modern reflex. The stressed high front vowel /i/ is long in the original Latin so it undergoes typical evolution and does not change.
- TAM MAGNAM /tam mag-nam/ > TANMAÑA /tan-ma-ha/ > TAMAÑA /ta-ma-ha/
/tam mag-nam/ > /tam-mag-na/ via complete lenition of the word final voiced bilabial nasal /m/.
/tam-mag-na/ > /tan-mag-na/ via dissimilation of the consonant cluster /mm/ to /nm/.
/tan-mag-na/ > /tan-ma-ha/ via palatization of the consonant cluster /gn/ to the lingua-velar voiced nasal /h/.
/tan-ma-ha/ > /ta-ma-ha/ via complete lenition of the lingua-alveolar voiced nasal /n/ to resolve the /nm/ consonant cluster due to its preconsonantal position.
The stressed low center vowel /a/ evolves regularly so it does not change.
- FUR
/fur-nus/ > /fur-nu/ via complete lenition of the word final lingua-alveolar voiceless fricative /s/.
/fur-nu/ > fur-no/ via regular evolution of the word final high back vowel /u/ to the high-mid back vowel /o/.
/fur-no/ > /for-no/ via regular evolution of the stressed short high back vowel /u/ to the high-mid back vowel /o/.
/for-no/> /hor-no/ via lenition of the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/ to the voiceless glottal fricative /h/.
/hor-no/> /or-no/ via complete lenition of the voiceless glottal fricative /h/.
- COMPANIA /com-pa-nja/ > COMPAÑA /com-pa-ha/ > COMPAÑA /com-pa-ha/
/com-pa-nja/ > /com-pa-ha/ via palatization of the voiced lingua-alveolar nasal /n/ to the voiced lingua-velar nasal /h/. This is platalization by assimilation to place of articulation of yod /j/.
The stressed vowel is the low center /a/ so it follows regular evolution and does not change.
- TRADITORES /tra-di-to-res/ > TRAYDORES /trai-do-res/ > TRAIDORES /trai-do-res/
/tra-di-to-res/ > /trai-to-res/ via complete lenition of the voiced lingua-alveolar stop /d/ due to its intervocalic position.
/trai-to-res/ > /trai-do-res/ via partial lenition of the intervocalic voiceless lingua-alveolar stop /t/.
The form “TRAYDORES” which appears in Libro de Buen Amor is pronounced /trai-do-res/, same as the modern reflex. The stressed syllable is the high-mid back vowel /o/ and it does not change so it must be long in the Latin etymon according to standard evolution.
- FILIUS /fi-li-us/ > FIJO /fi-jo/ > HIJO /i-jo/
/fi-li-us/ > /fi-li-u/ via complete lenition of the word final lingua-alveolar voiceless fricative /s/.
/fi-li-u/ > /fi-li-o/ via regular evolution of the word final high back vowel /u/ to the high-mid back vowel /o/.
/fi-li-o/ > /fi-jo/ via compromised articulation of voiced lingua-alveolar liquid /l/ due to merging sounds.
/fi-jo/ > /hi-jo/ via lenition of the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/ to the voiceless glottal fricative /h/.
/hi-jo/> /i-jo/ via complete lenition of the voiceless glottal fricative /h/.
The stressed high front vowel /i/ does not change so it must be long in the Latin etymon according to standard evolution.
- CERTAM /ker-tam/ > ÇIERTA /tsier-ta/ > CIERTA /sier-ta/
/ker-tam/ > /ker-ta/ via complete lenition of the word final voicless bilabial nasal /m/.
/ker-ta/ > /kier-ta/ via regular evolution of the stressed low-mid front vowel /e/. The vowel dipthongizes so it must be short in the original Latin etymon.
/kier-ta/ > /tsier-ta/ via palatization of voiceless lingua-velar stop /k/. It evolves to the affricate middle/old Spanish stage voiceless alveolar affricate /ts/.
/tsier-ta/ > /sier-ta/ via deaffrication of the voiceless alveolar affricate /ts/ to the voiceless lingua-alveolar fricative /s/.
- PUTEUS /pu-te-us/ > POÇO /po-tso/ > POZO /po- ( /po-so/ in seseantes varieties)
/pu-te-us/ > /pu-teu/ via complete lenition of the word final lingua-alveolar voiceless fricative /s/.
/pu-teu/ > /pu-tju/ via typical evolution of Latin diphthongs.
/pu-tju/ > /pu-tsu/ via palatization of the yod /ju/ to the affricate middle/old Spanish stage voiceless alveolar affricate /ts/.
/pu-tsu/ > /po-tsu/ via regular evolution of the short high back vowel /u/ to the mid-high back vowel /o/.
/po-tsu/ > /po-tso/ via regular evolution of the stressed high back vowel /u/ to the high-mid back vowel /o/.
/po-tso/ > /po-Ɵo/ via final palatalization to the modern Spanish voiceless lingua-dental fricative /Ɵ/ or voiceless lingua alveolar fricative /s/ in seseanates varieties.
- GRATIA /gra-ti-a/ > GRAÇIA /gra-tsia/ > GRACIA /gra-sja/ (seseantes) or /gra-Ɵja/
/gra-ti-a/ > /gra-tsia/ via palatalization.
/gra-tsia/ > /gra- Ɵia/ via via final palatalization to the modern Spanish voiceless lingua-dental fricative /Ɵ/ or voiceless lingua alveolar fricative /s/ in seseanates varieties.
The stressed low center vowel /a/ evolves regularly so it does not change.
- MESSIAS /mes-si-as/ > MEXÍAS /me-ʃi-as/ > MESÍAS /me-sí-as/
/mes-si-as/ > /me-si-as/ via assimilation of the cluster /ss/.
/me-si-as/ > /me-ʃi-as/ via palatization of the voiceless lingua-alveolar fricative /s/ to the voiceless post-alveolar fricative /ʃ/.
/me-ʃi-as/ > /me-si-as/ via exceptional palatization of the voiceless post-alveolar fricative /ʃ/ to the voiceless lingua-laveolar fricative /s/.The typical evolution would have been to a voiceless velar fricative /j/.
The stressed vowel is the high front vowel /i/, as indicated by the written accent mark in the modern reflex. Because it is in the penultimate syllable and is in an open syllable, it must be long. It follows regular evolution and it does not change.