Miecha

Abstract

In this paper I consider the chronology of the oldest identifiable loanwords that Spanish and other Ibero-Romance languages appear to have taken from Basque. The dating of these loanwords is somewhat more certain when they have undergone datable sound changes in the borrowing language. Here I focus on the medieval praenomen Miecha, seemingly from Spanish mi 'my' and Basque aita 'father'. I consider the evolution form aita to -echa within the historical phonology of the Spanish language. The dating of borrowings from Basque to Romance may also help elucidate when the languages came into contact.