Re: Cognates for nape of the neck, neck: qafaa, 'unuq, gyd, ghull,

On 08.02.2006, at 07:48, The Egyptian Chronicles wrote:

> A. The Arabic "qafa" is from Old Arabic and Classic Arabic (pre
> Islamic times). To my knowledge there is no trace of "qafa" in Greek.
> The question may be posed slightly differently: What are the first
> occurrences in the Rumanian and Albanian languages? Can you provide
> such?

I know only the contemporary occurrence: Rum. ceafã ['c^a-f@]. I guess
the same pronunciation as in Albanian. Synonym (in Romanian): cerbice <
Lat. cervix, -icis (which is today rarely used; NB: cerbicie
"pig-headedness", also rarely used).

> Taking in consideration that any influence via the Turkish language
> did not come into play on the Balkan scene until the fall of
> Constantinople in 1453.

Yes, but prior to that other Turkic (actually Turkish suits better)
invasions: Hunnic, Avar, Khazar, Onogur/Protobulgar,
Onogur/Khazar/Bashkir (i.e. within the Hungarian migration from Ukraine
to today's Hungary and W-Romania, N-Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia,
E-Austria), Petcheneg (a.k.a. Patsinak), Cuman (Kyptchak), Ta(r)tar.
Between circa 400-1300. (After 1300 the Ottoman Turks had conquered
more and more of the peninsula before the fall of the capital of the
Eastern Roman Empire.)

also cf. Ahmed Togan (in Turkish):
http://freasturkistan.org/karahanlilar.htm

> Further, this is not an isolated case where a Classic Arabic term made
> its way into a European language (from the Indo-European group). I
> cannot give a better example of this transmission than its direct
> synonym  `unuq (`nq),  the Arabic term for "neck" found in the
> Germanic group, hnakki, hneccaand hnac in ON, OE and OHG
> respectively.

In modern standard German Genick, in Southern (Bavarian/Austrian)
German, G'nack. (Hungarian nyak [ñOk].)

> Also the  Rum.: _nuca_ for cervix

I assume this to be a mistake. Rum. nucã means "(wal) nut". (OTOH, is
there any possible link to Lat. necare "to kill" and Rum. în(n)eca/re
"to drown"?)

> BTW, none of the terms "qafa, gyd and/or `nq" are found in any of the
> so-called Semitic languages.

Rum. gât (also spelled as gît). It has been interpreted as a loanword
from Old Slavic glu^tu^ "swallowing", hence also akin to Lat.
-glutinare (and singultus, which has resulted in Rum. sughitz, and not
in Rum. *sugât; and Rum. înghitzi/re "to swallow", înghite "s/he
swallows; is swallowing").

> It is to be remembered that in the late 8thc the Arabs were already in
> direct contact with the Bulgars in the Balkan and the "Ruws" (Vikings)
> in the Volga region. (see Rislalah of Ibn Fadlan* below).

Are there similar terms in Bulgarian and in Varangian? (Danish, Swedish)

> Ahmad Zakiy Waliydiy Tuwgan (1890-1970).  A Bashkir Turkish scholar,
> proficient in several

rather spelled as Ahmed/Achmed Zeki Velidi TOGAN/TOĞAN.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeki_Velidi_Togan
http://itstoria.net/storia/Togan-%20Ahmed%20Zeki%20Velidi-45DA.html

George