Bogdan Giusca (disc) wrote:
> Yes, in some Romance languages, possibly taken from Greek:
> Portuguese: arco-íris
> Spanish: arco iris
> Italian: arcobaleno, iride
> Catalan: arc de sant martí, arc d'iris
>
> but not in others:
> French: arc-en-ciel
> Romanian: curcubeu (probably unknown origin)
>
not probably but indeed given with unknown etymology , even if a pretty
complex word. The Albanian Lang is of no help here since the word in Alb
is "ylber".
Even if the construction appear as in Romance "bow + what_I_know_what" I
am very sceptical to see it as "curb cu bleu" (curve with blue) >
curbcubleu > curcubeu ( assuming "b" of "curb" and "l" of bleu" have
been reduced just for the economy of the speach); the probability that
this is though the right etymology can be there even if in a very small
percent.
Alex