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***davidjackson*** · 28-03-2016, 10:24 AM

Quote: Scribes in the 1400s were constantly tossing in Latin terms mixed with their own language. Even in the 1700s, when books were printed in mass quantity for a broader audience, Latin and Greek phrases were intermixed with the language in which the book was written (French, English, German, Italian, etc.) without a footnote to translate it. The fact that there were no footnotes indicates that they assumed the reader could read the Latin and Greek phrases without explanation.

Yes, but that's a different case. It was assumed a literate reader could understand the classical languages. I'm talking about mixing vernaculars for a personal case.

Quote: About the "luco", my Spanish is not perfect, but this root can also be used in a verb, meaning something like "appear, look like", probably etymologically related to "lux". Any possibilities there?

Luco is an obsolete word meaning "grove" (or copse). I think you're confusing it with lucir , to shine (and it has all the connotations the English verb does as well), from the Latin lucere (according to Rae). I can't think of any others.

Quote: Perhaps, "mallior" could be a valid word form of "malo"?

Doubt it. It is more likely to be an old spelling of mayor, "greatest" or "oldest", etc etc- ll and y were often confused. Or even mejor, "better", although then i would expect mehor.