Re: sparrow

From: tgpedersen
Message: 37446
Date: 2005-04-28

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:
> Well, the only word that implies ps- is the Greek. Could be a
metathesis sp>ps ?
> Or it is just a coincidence, and psa:r has another origin.

That's probably the only way to save a PIE origin for the "sparrow"
word. Otherwise it's probably a substrate word, like many other bird
names, with un-IE *ps- (but it doesn't fit the criterion, alternating
*aC(C)C-, *C(C)VC-
of Schrijver's 'language of bird names).
I am not aware of other *sp- > *ps- examples. As for coincidence, hm.
Would 'psa:r' have the same origin as 'passer' then?

Torsten