Re: A few more Breathanach notes

[John Cowan <cowan@locke.ccil.org>]

Clarifying:

Breathanach has a form in "-nn", currently called the second participle,
functioning as a gerund.  It also has a form in "-nte", currently
called the first participle, functioning as a participle.  The
*foil* mentions them in this order.

Latin had a gerund in "-nd-" (2nd decl neuter) and a participle in
"-ns", "-ntis" (3rd decl).

The B. forms can be explained by (in either order): a reduction of
"nd" to "nn" and a function/form swap.

	All previous statements are inoperative.
		--Ron Ziegler, President Nixon's press secretary

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)