Re: *ekwos and esel?

From: tarasovass
Message: 12642
Date: 2002-03-10

--- In cybalist@..., "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...> wrote:
> All I have found is Skt. gaura-kHara- for the Indian variety of
_Equus hemionus_ (the khur), which corresponds exactly to <gor-xar>
(both < *ga:ura-kHara-). The first element appears to be a colour
term (Skt. gaura- 'yellowish, reddish; white, shining'), which seems
to fit the hemiones (khurs, kulans and onagers), with their
conspicuously white or buff underparts.
>

Does this *ga:ura- have a plausible PIE etymology or we deal with a
wanderwort here? Russian has <kau'ryj> 'light chestnut (of a horse)',
which, along with Middle Russian <kuryj>, <kovur> 'id.' and dialectal
<kau'rit's'a> 'give a dark look', is explained by Vasmer as a
borrowing from North Turkic <kovur> 'chestnut (of a horse)'.
Stryjkowski in his _Kronika..._ (1582) mentions <Chaurirari> -- a
Lithuanian horse deity ('Chaurirari, kon'ski bo'g; temu pietuchy
rosl/e, cerstwe, ro'z.nej fabry ofiarowali, aby sie, tez. konie takie
mnoz.yl/y...') -- a word with uncertain etymology: a connection with
Lith. dial. <ka'uras> 'mould', also with Slavic *kuriti 'burn', ON
<hyrr>, Arm. <krak> 'fire', Gothic <ha'uri> 'coal' has been proposed.
Interestingly enough, a magic horse is sometimes called <si'vka-
bu'rka, ve's^c^ij kau'rka> (lit. 'Grey-browny, soothsaying
Chestnutty') in Russian folklore.

Sergei