Recent content by Estel

It also exists in Italian giulivo, giuliva and Catalan joliu, joliva, as well as in English jolly, but in all languages, even if old, it's said to come from Old French jolif, jolive, in which it is attested even earlier. Apparently the suffix -if/ive would have been added to that and I find it...

They don't stretch "from the Alps to Barcelona". They are what have been traditionally known as Rhaeto-Romance and Gallo-Italian. What is said in the prologue is that they are more related to both Oil (French) and Occ (Occitan and Catalan) than to Standard Italian, which is partly true. I...

Catalan/Valencian, Occitan or even Gascon in Aran have old standardized versions used officially in institutions, literature, education, in the media and in the street. Catalan and Occitan have been regarded as different languages already since the Middle Ages. Can we say the same about all the...

The Carthaginian invasion took place at least two or three centuries later, on already Iberian territory. What has been deciphered so far already points to a relationship that seems to go far beyond a mere language contact scenario. Obviously it does not imply that we can translate Iberian...

The theory might work with the Basques, but not with Iberians -as it's been mentioned before-, despite being a more homogeneous group, a relatively more solid culture and occupying a larger area. Even when taking into consideration that the Basque Pyrenean corner is a more inaccessible place, it...

There have to be Latin words coming from non-IE sources, but manducare is not a good example. The relationship with the roots mentioned for "chewing" (mando) is clear via the character of Manducus, the glutton, represented with the mask of someone chewing. And I don't see it unlikely at all to...