PIE *kseubh

From: alex
Message: 28056
Date: 2003-12-06

This root is supposed to be the root where Alb. "shapi" and Rom.
"sopârlã" derived.
Do I make any mistake or the name for lizard has no other derivatives in
Alb?
I mean, if the root is indeed "kseubh-" (schwanken, in schwingender
Bewegung sein) are there other words which will show more about reflexes
of *kseubh- in Albanian?

I try to make the paralel here with the derivative in Rom. where there
are at least 3 verbs and a noun derived directly from "kseubh-":
1)Sovãi= to hesitate
2)Sopârlã= Lizard
3)Sopãi= to speak with a very low tone (interj. "Sopa!")
4)Sopoti = to make a very low noises

No 4 is given as deriving from Slavic "s^IpUtU" but I > o is not
posible, but suffix
1) & 2) are given with unknown etymology
3) is given as onomatopea, from "Sopa"

If we take in consideration Latin "x" became "s" long time before Romans
entered in Balkan, one has to assume the change "ks" >"s" was not
singular in Latin since it happened in substratual words too (at least
at begining of the word).
So, one has:
PIE ks > s, Latin x > s
It seems the PIE short "u" was rendered in the lang. of substrate more
open, kind of "o" ( would it explain Alb. "a" in shapi too?)
*kseubh > *seubh : this *seubh should be the word which changed later
trough suffixation.
The change of "bh" once to "p" and once to "v" is determined by the next
vowel. When followed as usual by a front vowel, the "bh" > "v"; when
followed by a back vowel, it became "p".

Thus, for "Sovãi" one will think at the following changes ( with an open
"u" , kind of "o") ( bh + front vowel[e])

*seubh+eni > Suoveni >Sovãn'i > Sovãi

For bh + back vowel:
*seubh + arla > Suoparla >Sopãrla > Sopârlã
*suebh + ani > Suopani >Sopãn'i >Sopãi


The suffix "-ârla" was tried to be explained by a lot of people. It stil
remains of unknown origin. It is pretty productive making nouns out of
other nouns as for instance:codârlã (coda +arla);

I wonder if there is more lexical material in Albanian for seing how
there the PIE *kseubh developed beside "shapi".

Alex