Hi Jos,
Your interesting question has been asked on the Internet before:
http://ask.metafilter.com/108865/eight-night-ocho-noche-huit-nuit-acht-nacht-otto-notte-oito-noite
It appears (from the above link) that there is no link, apart from the fact
that all these languages are related and the two words coincidentally sounded
similar in the root Indo-European language. As the languages diverged through
sound shifts, both (similar sounding) words changed in similar ways.
No interesting time related factors at all.
Hank, Adelaide, Australia
From: sundial [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jos Kint
Sent: Wednesday, 12 November 2014 6:38 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: huit nuits
Dear all,
What do you think about the following coincidence :
Eight verus night in English, huit versus nuit in French, ocho versus noche in
Spanish, acht versus nacht in Dutch and in German, otto versus notte in
Italian, octa versus noctem in Latin,
what might be the reason that in so many languages eight and night sound so
similar? Might there be some connection with time keeping in the old days?
Jos Kint, Belgium
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