Re: [tied] Lead and Purse

From: João Simões Lopes Filho
Message: 36861
Date: 2005-03-27

The meaning of byrsa is "purse, leather, bag, hide",not market.
I think marsipos (cf.Marsupial) can be cognate, if we assume a non-Greek source *(m)brs-
 
I have doubts if Mercurius and merx are truly connected or just a folk-etymology. There was attempts to explain Mercurius <Melcurius < Phoenician Melqart > Greek Melikerte:s
 
Joao SL
----- Original Message -----
From: Gordon Barlow
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 2:37 AM
Subject: [tied] Lead and Purse


>What's the current view of the origin of words for lead and purse?
>Purse:
>Is there a relationship between Greek byrsa and marsypon, marsipon ? I
>remember to read a mention to byrsa as from Anatolian kursa. May we guess
>*gWursa- ?
>Joao SL

I read once - somewhere - that the Marketplace of Carthage was called
"byrsa" - but that of course may have been a Greek transliteration or
perhaps simply a translation.  Is it possible that the word was taken into
Greek from there?  Cognates "market", "merchant" and the god Mercury, I have
long supposed.  Would one of the Slavic-language speakers be kind enough to
tell me: do Slavic cognates carry the m- or the b/p- beginning?  Thank you.

Gordon