426 



THE INTEE VOCALIC " N " AND " L " IN OLD PORTU- 

 GUESE AND THE EISE OF POETFGUESE 

 NATIONALITY. 



Madame D. Victoria Batista de Sousa Eibiero Gomes, 

 Faculty of Arts, University of Lisbon. 



Read July 12, 1922. 



Floreca, falc, cante, ouca-se e viva A portuijueza lingua e jd ondc 

 for Senhora vd onde for Senliora vd de si soberba e altiva. — 

 Antonio Eerreira (1527-69). 



For a concise study of two philological laws typical of Old 

 Portuguese, it is necessary to say a few words about the' geo- 

 graphical aspect of the country where the people that gave birth 

 to these phenomena live. As is well known, the changes which 

 the Latin language underwent in the various parts of 

 Eomania " are closely connected with historical and geo- 

 graphical problems. 



Portugal and Spain constitute two clearly differentiated coun- 

 tries. This is clearly indicated in a variety of ways, including 

 the geographical situation and aspect, the characteristics of the 

 races, and unity of language in each covmtry. 



Among the many books that give definite evidence of the 

 formal separation of the two countries, one, as far as the geo- 

 graphy of the Peninsula is concerned, is of outstanding import- 

 ance. This is the book of Elysee Eeclus, entitled " Pourquoi 

 le Portugal a pris cette forme d'un quadrilatere irregulier? 

 which clearly shows that the frontiers, far from being deter- 

 mined by political conventions or mediaeval struggles, represent 

 a physically logical separation of the two countries. With the 

 exception of the passes of " Portela de Homem " and " Valle da 

 Mula "' and a few others, in some instances the summits of the 

 mountains detain the passing clouds, which, transforming them- 

 selves into small rivulets, fertilise the lands of Portugal and 

 leave baiTen many a vast Spanish region. In other instances, 

 the rivers reaching the Portuguese frontier become more impetu- 

 ous owing to the broken nature of the country, and run along- 

 side the mountains in the new courses which tlioso follow when 

 marking the frontier. 



