Re: [tied] "ger"

14-10-03 20:13, Daniel J. Milton wrote:

> Interesting idea. Can you expand on it, Piotr? Is the original
> Germanic hypothetical? It doesn't quite fit as a translation of
> the 'Suobi' "Us people" group of names.
> I seem to remember another etymology, "ger-man" = "spear-man".

It's a preposterous folk etymology. The 'spear' word was *gaiza-, and
rhotacism (*z > r) took place independently in West and North Germanic a
few centuries later than the first attestation of <germa:ni:>. Also,
<-ma:ni:> is not compatible with Germanic *mann- 'man'.

> What's the earliest attestation, Caesar?

Yes, and since Ariovistus is described as "rex Germanorum", "Germani"
and the Swebian confederacy seem to be the same thing. <germa:nus>
'having the same parentage' is quite plausible as a rough translation of
*swe:ba-, which meant something like 'people of our own stock'.

Piotr