What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to explore the phonetic evolution of compounds in pre-Italic forms, especially focusing on combinations involving 'nv'.

April 24, 2026

IE -nw - : Italic -nn -

Key Points

The research aims to explore the phonetic evolution of compounds in pre-Italic forms, especially focusing on combinations involving 'nv'.
Analyzed phonetic forms of Latin words
Examined examples of later compound words like convenio and invītus
Discussed the implications of vowel insertion in compound formation
Identified that earlier forms likely included a vowel between n and v
Confirmed that old compounds existed but underwent a re-formation process
Found that new compounds were created in Latin and its dialects

Abstract

The change here assumed must have been pre-Italic, for the later combination -nv - remained, regardless of the origin of the v. Such forms as convenio, invītus are plainly late compounds, since the phonetic forms would have been * conguenio, *inquītus. That does not mean that the old compounds did not exist, but simply that there was a constant re-formation of con+venio. The same explanation would hold for words with original v, as in con-veho. Wherever nv come together in Latin or in the dialects, it follows either that there must have been a vowel between n and v or else that it was a new compound, that is, new as explained above.

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