Re: [tied] Nostradamus and Dumezil

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 9517
Date: 2001-09-15

I'd like to retract the "moan" part, because a more straightforward etymology has occurred to me, connecting the slavic word with Skt. agHa- 'sinful, evil; injury, pain'.
 
*ngHa: > *Inga: > *e~dza/*e~ga > je~dza/jaga
 
Piotr
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Piotr Gasiorowski
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 2:05 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Nostradamus and Dumezil

Slavic *e~ga (> West Slavic *je~dza, note the _nasal_ vowel) comes from the onomatopoeic root *(e)ng- 'moan, whine'. The original meaning (preserved in Old Church Slavic!) was "illness, ailment", hence names of pain-causing demons, and finally the modern meaning "witch, spiteful woman".