W., where ‑ss- became final by loss of the ending, it became ‑s early; but medially it is still double, though now written ‑s- § 54 i (2). Examples: W. crasu, Ml. W. crassu ‘to bake’, crās ‘baked’ < *krams- < *qrm̥‑s‑, √qerem‑: Lat. cremo, Gk. κέραμος, W. cramwyth ‘pancake’ < *kram-pok-tī;—W. mīs ‘month’, Ir. mī gen. mīs < *mēnsis: Lat. mensis, Gk. μήν, Lith. mė́nů, mė́nesis ‘moon, month’;—W. gw̯rēs ‘heat’ < *ɡu̯hrens-os) √ɡu̯her‑, § 92 iii: Skr. ghrąsáḥ ‘heat of the sun’ < *ɡu̯hrens-ós;—Ml. W. cysseẟ ‘sitting together’ < *kon-sed‑.
(2) The same change takes place before an explosive; thus nst > st; nsqu̯ > sp; as W. cystadl, cystal ‘as good’ § 96 ii (3); cosp < *konsqu̯- § 96 iii (5).
(3) The nasal also disappears when an explosive came between it and the s, as in W. cysefin ‘primitive’, Ml. W. cyssefin < *kint’samīnos, beside cyntaf ‘first’ § 106 iii (3), cyntefin ‘Spring’ < *kintu-samīno‑.
iv. (1) Ar. ‑ls‑, ‑rs- probably became ‑ll‑, ‑rr- in Pr. Kelt. Examples of the former are uncertain in W., because ‑ln‑, ´‑li̯- also give W. ll; perhaps W. pell ‘far’ < *qu̯el‑s‑: Gk. τέλος.—W. carr, Ir. carr, Gaul. carr-(us) < *qₑr’sos § 63 iii; W. twrr ‘crowd’ (b. b. 44, 45), ‘heap’ < *tur’‑s‑, ur < u̯ₑr § 63 viii, √tu̯er‑: Lat. turba, turma (W. torf < Lat.).
(2) An explosive between the two sounds disappears, giving the same result; probably the majority of W. rr’s come from such groups as ‑rks‑, ‑rts‑. Examples: W. gyrr ‘a drove’ (of cattle) < *gerks- < *gerg‑s‑: Gk. γέργερα· πολλά Hes., Lat. grex, W. gre;—W. torri ‘to break, cut’ < *torq‑s‑, √tereq‑: Lat. truncus< *tronqos, W. trwch ‘broken, cut’ < *tronqos;—W. carreg ‘stone’ < *k̑ₑr’q-s-ikā, √k̑ereq‑: Skr. s̑árkaraḥ ‘pebble’, Gk. κροκάλη ‘pebble’, W. crogen ‘shell’, craig ‘rock’ < *k̑roqi̯‑;—W. torr ‘belly’ (generally of an animal), torrog ‘pregnant’, Ir. torrach ‘pregnant’ < *torks‑: Lat. tergus ‘body of an animal, hide’;—W. gwarr ‘upper part of back’, gwarr hëol g. 300 ‘ridge of the roadway’ < *u̯ort‑s‑: Lat. vortex, W. gwarthaf ‘summit’ < *u̯ortₑmo‑;—W. corr ‘dwarf’ < *qort‑s‑: Lat. curtus, Ir. cert ‘little’, √(s)qer‑.—Possibly we have ll from ‑lks- in W. callestr ‘flint’ < *qel’qs‑: Lat. calx, Gk. χάλιξ, √q(h)eleiq- parallel to √k̑ereq- above.
