Re: [tied] Re: etymology of MERCURIUS

I'm also think TURMS related to HERMES, but phonetically is very difficult
to explain. Maybe TERMINUS?
Usually Etrusque theonyms in -ns < Italic -*nos (Selvans < Selvanos; Velxans
< Velkanos; Sethlans < *Saetla:nos?; Nethuns < Neptu:nus; Fufluns <
*Poplo:nos). Usually Italic d > Etruscan t; so maybe TURMS < Du/ormos.

Mercurius can be from *Melcurius through assimilation or influence of merx.

Joao SL
Rio

----- Original Message -----
From: John Croft <jdcroft@...>
To: <cybalist@egroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 6:12 AM
Subject: [tied] Re: etymology of MERCURIUS


> João wrote:
> > Does anybody knows the etymology of Mercurius?
> >
> > Relation with merx "market" must be folk etymology...
> > Etrusques call him TURMS
> > Mercuris < *Melcurius < *Melek-qart ?
>
> Romans and Greeks equated Melkart with Hercules rather than Mercury.
> The Etruscan TURMS is close to the Greek HERMS, with whom I suspect
> there is a cognate. I am not sure of the shift from L to R in Latin.
> What do you others think?
>
> Regards
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>