< Reconstruction:Latin

Reconstruction:Latin/ovum

This Latin entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Latin

Etymology

From Classical Latin ōvum.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈɔ(β)u/

Noun

*ŏvum n (plural *ŏva) (Proto-Italo-Western-Romance)

  1. egg

Reconstruction notes

Two explanations have been proposed for the development of */ɔ/ from ancient /oː/. Perhaps most straightforwardly, there may have been dissimilatory pressure from the following */β/, as appears to have occurred in cases like *colŏbra, *iŏvenem < colubra, iuvenem. A somewhat convoluted alternative is that */β/ was lost, as it often was in contact with rounded vowels, and then the resulting */ˈou/ would have dissimilated to */ˈɔu/. Then the vowel */ɔ/ would have analogically spread to the plural, resulting in */ˈɔβa/, and also */β/ would have often spread from the plural to the singular, judging by the fricative in various descendants.

In light of the descendants, it seems likely that one or more of the numerous occurrences of ⟨ovum⟩ in late or early medieval Latin represents a pronunciation with [ɔ]. It is not clear how one might actually prove this in any given case.

Romanian ou and Sardinian o(v)u could derive either directly from the ancient ōvum or from *ŏvum. If the latter is assumed then this reconstruction reaches the level of Proto-Romance.

Derived terms
  • *ŏva f sg (“roe”)
    • Old French: ueve
    • Portuguese: ova
    • Spanish: hueva

Descendants
  • Dalmatian:
  • Italo-Romance:
  • North Italian:
  • Gallo-Romance:
    • Catalan: ou
    • Old Franco-Provençal: of
      • Franco-Provençal: of, uef (Savoy)
    • Old French: oef (see there for further descendants)
    • Gascon: ueu, güeu
    • Occitan: uòu, ueu
  • Ibero-Romance:
    • Aragonese: uego, buevo
    • Asturian: güevu
    • Leonese: guevu
    • Mirandese: uobo
    • Old Galician-Portuguese: ovo (see there for further descendants)
    • Old Spanish: hueuo (see there for further descendants)

References
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