DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49270#0172
Canarian Speech
97
of the Spanish g, j, x. Much can be learned in this respect from the numerous Arabic
loan words adopted into Spanish, for Arabic pronunciation has remained more stable.
For the following information I am indebted to Engelmann. I have not restricted my
application of his results to the consonants of g, j, x, but have extended it to other letters,
for the sequel will show that the transcription of Arabic loan words was closely followed
in taking down Canarian words.
The chief consonantal modifications to be seen in Spanish loan words from the Arabic
may be summarized as follows: —-
B, when initial, remains; medially it is sometimes replaced by v or by p.
(Sp.) rapita from (Ar.) rabita.
(Sp.) julepe from (Ar.) golab.
(Sp.) arrope from (Ar.) ar-robb.
H ((^) in the middle of a word becomes / or h, but ha changes to c (qu).
(Sp.) alforjas from (Ar.) al-horg.
(Sp.) almohadda from (Ar.) al-mihadda.
(Sp.) alcana from (Ar.) al-hanat.
H ( ^) initial and medial, is rendered by / or /?.
G (^) both initial and medial, is rendered by g{ga, go, gu, gua, gur).
Q (e_?) initially remains c; medially it occurs as c, que, qui. Final q is rendered by ga, go.
(Sp.) alfocigo from (Ar.) al-fostoq.
(Sp.) alhondiga from (Ar.) al-fondoq.
K undergoes the same change as q.
G (g)). 1505 when Pedro del Alcala wrote an Arabic vocabulary in Spanish letters, Spanish
a, ju, ge, gi had the sound of Arabic ga, go, geo, gi. Arabic final g was rendered by ge, ch, che. As in the
Arabic spoken in Algeria and Morocco, g is frequently pronounced like j (French / in/ow), it is possible
that the Spanish sounds of ja, ju, ge, gi were pronounced like French ja, ju, ge, gi. But this modern
Arabic pronunciation of g may be of more recent date than the Spanish loan words.
S (c/*‘>) was rendered initially, medially, and finally by x, though medially ch (c) was occasionally
substituted. This pronunciation of x lasted into the early part of the 17th century, as is shown by our
word sherry derived from the town of Xerez, in the Arabic Sens. The word first occurs in 1608 as shirry,
and in 1614 as sherry. A translation of Don QuAofeinto French appeared in 1614, and the translitera-
tion of the title as Don Quichotte proves that x still retained the sound of s. For the next two hundred
years x had the value of h, but towards the beginning of the last century the Spanish Academy in its
spelling reform transferred this value of h to j and assigned to x its modern sound of ks. In modern
Castilian the sound of s has disappeared. It does not appear to be known when /, ge, gi lost their earlier
sound of g and became h, he, hi, but it may be supposed that the old sound remained, at any rate till about
the end of the 16th century.
S (c/**) both initial and medial, becomes z and is sometimes spelled ga, go, gu, ce, ci. At the end
of a word it always changes into z.
P changes into d. When final it is written de.
3 0 ) becomes d.
D ( 3 ) when initial and medial, remains; when final it is written d, de, te.
F is generally rendered by /, though sometimes by h. When final it is written fe.
W (^) when initial is rendered by gua; medially, by gu or hue-, when final by u.
97
of the Spanish g, j, x. Much can be learned in this respect from the numerous Arabic
loan words adopted into Spanish, for Arabic pronunciation has remained more stable.
For the following information I am indebted to Engelmann. I have not restricted my
application of his results to the consonants of g, j, x, but have extended it to other letters,
for the sequel will show that the transcription of Arabic loan words was closely followed
in taking down Canarian words.
The chief consonantal modifications to be seen in Spanish loan words from the Arabic
may be summarized as follows: —-
B, when initial, remains; medially it is sometimes replaced by v or by p.
(Sp.) rapita from (Ar.) rabita.
(Sp.) julepe from (Ar.) golab.
(Sp.) arrope from (Ar.) ar-robb.
H ((^) in the middle of a word becomes / or h, but ha changes to c (qu).
(Sp.) alforjas from (Ar.) al-horg.
(Sp.) almohadda from (Ar.) al-mihadda.
(Sp.) alcana from (Ar.) al-hanat.
H ( ^) initial and medial, is rendered by / or /?.
G (^) both initial and medial, is rendered by g{ga, go, gu, gua, gur).
Q (e_?) initially remains c; medially it occurs as c, que, qui. Final q is rendered by ga, go.
(Sp.) alfocigo from (Ar.) al-fostoq.
(Sp.) alhondiga from (Ar.) al-fondoq.
K undergoes the same change as q.
G (g)). 1505 when Pedro del Alcala wrote an Arabic vocabulary in Spanish letters, Spanish
a, ju, ge, gi had the sound of Arabic ga, go, geo, gi. Arabic final g was rendered by ge, ch, che. As in the
Arabic spoken in Algeria and Morocco, g is frequently pronounced like j (French / in/ow), it is possible
that the Spanish sounds of ja, ju, ge, gi were pronounced like French ja, ju, ge, gi. But this modern
Arabic pronunciation of g may be of more recent date than the Spanish loan words.
S (c/*‘>) was rendered initially, medially, and finally by x, though medially ch (c) was occasionally
substituted. This pronunciation of x lasted into the early part of the 17th century, as is shown by our
word sherry derived from the town of Xerez, in the Arabic Sens. The word first occurs in 1608 as shirry,
and in 1614 as sherry. A translation of Don QuAofeinto French appeared in 1614, and the translitera-
tion of the title as Don Quichotte proves that x still retained the sound of s. For the next two hundred
years x had the value of h, but towards the beginning of the last century the Spanish Academy in its
spelling reform transferred this value of h to j and assigned to x its modern sound of ks. In modern
Castilian the sound of s has disappeared. It does not appear to be known when /, ge, gi lost their earlier
sound of g and became h, he, hi, but it may be supposed that the old sound remained, at any rate till about
the end of the 16th century.
S (c/**) both initial and medial, becomes z and is sometimes spelled ga, go, gu, ce, ci. At the end
of a word it always changes into z.
P changes into d. When final it is written de.
3 0 ) becomes d.
D ( 3 ) when initial and medial, remains; when final it is written d, de, te.
F is generally rendered by /, though sometimes by h. When final it is written fe.
W (^) when initial is rendered by gua; medially, by gu or hue-, when final by u.