Re: s->h


Joachim Pense wrote:
In classical Greek, an original word-initial *s developed into h.
(compare Latin "sex", Greek "hex" for the number 'six').

In Sanskrit, an original word-final *s developed into h. (compare
Latin "sumus", Skr. "smaH").

What would be a plausible development path from s to h? I have
difficulties imagining one.

You cannot be serious! In Irish, the weakening of [s] to [h] is a
regular grammatical feature. I don't know about "plausible development
path", but I reckon even in many varieties of Spanish the weakening of
intervocalic [s] into [h] is a frequent and predictable feature in
rapid speech. So, an intervocalic [s] becoming [h] is at least no
rarity as languages go.

I would suggest a palatalized s and an ich-Laut as possible
intermediate stages. In Polish, there is a palatalized s that is to my
ears quite indistinguishable from a German ich-Laut.

.