Re: [tied] IE etymology for Achaia?

On 22 Jan 2007, at 19:57, Piotr Gasiorowski wrote:

> <akHaiós> certainly reflects older *akHaiwó- (Lat.
> Achi:vi:), and Hitt. ahhiya:, ahhiyawa:, as well as AEgyt.
> aqaiwas^a (or
> whatever vocalisation one prefers), are almost generally believed
> to be
> foreign renderings of the Greek ethnonym.

Thanks. (I'm generally inclined to believe that the Hittite and
Egyptian names are equivalent with "Achaeans" as well, though I
understand that there has at times been debate.) But I know trying
to interpret such very old ethnonyms tends to be a chancy business ....

On 22 Jan 2007, at 18:54, Joao S. Lopes wrote:
> < Semitic *'ax- "brother" ?

Hmm, well, I would guess some kind of root beginning like *ak-/*ax-
for sure, though whether there's a good reason it should be
Semitic ...? I suppose it's no worse a guess than saying
"unidentifiable Old European", though! There must be some hefty
suffixing on whatever it is.

Cheers,
Carl

--
Carl Edlund Anderson
http://www.carlaz.com/