Charlie wrote:
> --- In [log in to unmask], R A Brown <ray@...>
> wrote:
>> Strange derivation as the verb stem is _aper-_ - the
>> _e_ is never dropped in any form of the verb, nor in
>> any other derivative, e.g. aperibilis "opening" [adj.]
>> 
> 
> In Italian we have "giugno" for June and "luglio" for
> July.  Whence the initial <l> in "luglio"?  I would
> expect "giuglio".

Nope - Giuglio is Italian for Julius [personal name].

The month name is apparently derived from a late Latin 
_Lulius_ which, according to my source, arose from 
dissimilation of the two /j/ sounds, i.e. /'juljU/ --> 
/'luljU/.  But one could, I guess, also argue for 
assimilation of /l/   ;)

But this month do odd things; the French _juillet_ is not 
what one would expect from Latin Juliu(m). Also we would 
expect the English _July_ to be pronounced exactly like the 
name _Julie_ - but it ain't, tho at one time the two were 
homophones. From what I remember, it ain't altogether clear 
why there was this change of stress, and pronunciation of 
final vowel, in later modern English.

But this is rather different from the Latin _Aprilis_. In 
the case of the modern Italian, French & English words 
above, we know for certain that they are ultimately derived 
from the month name _Juliu[m]_. Why, we even know who gave 
the month this name and when he did so!

But we do not have comparable information regarding the 
Latin word. Since a derivation fro _aperire_ would be 
expected to give *Aperilis and there are no obvious  reasons 
why it shouldn't, many (including myself) have suspected 
that the tradition of its derivation from _aperire_ is folk 
etymology.

The German philologist, Jacob Grimm (1785 - 1863) suggested 
a derivation from hypothetical god or hero, Aper or Aprus. 
The weakness with this is, of course, that the god or hero 
is _hypothetical_.

But the Etruscan Apru (Aphrodite/Venus) is not hypothetical   ;)

Since the other non-numbered months were named in honor of 
divinities (even the later Julius & Augustus became 
divinities after death), and as April was sacred to Venus, 
the _Festum Veneris et Fortunae Virilis_ (Feast of Venus and 
of Manly Fortune) was held on the first day of the month, 
the derivation from _Apru_ is attractive.

But the point is that the etymology of Aprilis is uncertain, 
as is the etymology of many (most?) proper names; therefore 
using the etymological approach for glyphs in a 'Soundless 
Language' is IMO unsound, except maybe when the etymology is 
obvious, clear and undisputed.

-- 
Ray
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Nid rhy hen neb i ddysgu.
There's none too old to learn.
[WELSH PROVERB]