--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:
>
> Persephone < *perso-gHwon- ???
> sheaf-destroyer?
Nono. Sheaf-beater. Thresher. As might be seen from the discussion.
Or seed-beater. If we accept Eichner's proposal (in the comments)
of a relation to Pokorny *pers- "stäuben, spritzen" ie. "sending off
small fragments" we might as well look at his *per-, *per&-; *pre:-
*preu- "sprühen, spritzen..." same as *sper- "sprühen usw." (cf.
Lat pellere/pulsare).
And cf. ON fræ, frjo "seed, germ" (< PGerm. *fraiwa- < PIE
*(s)proiwo-), Goth. fraiw.
>
> Could be...
>
Is. ;-)
> I prefer to see Perse- as Pre-Greek, cognate of Perseis (Helios'
wife), Perse:s (Hekate's father, also name of a Helios' son), Perso:
(=Hekate)
Could be... ;-). Or Perseus is hypochoristic from another name
beginning with Perso-?
> The variants Persephone, Periphona, Phersephatta, Persephassa,
Phersepone, Perrhe-, point to an original *Phersephon-.
>
I don't know enough to judge whether the lack of -s- in Periphona
is original or due to loss?
Torsten