Lopes' explanation is indeed possible, but it would be better to
reconstruct the indigenous form as *Rawa, considering that the
languages spoken around Volga in antiquity, Scythian or Sarmatian,
belonged to the Iranian branch with regular loss of s (cf. OPers.
rautah- = OInd. srotas- "river"). According to an alternative
explanation, Rhâs is related to Avestan Rañha- (Vednidad: the ocean?)
and OInd. Rasa- (a mythical river or a tributary of the Indus: RV
5.53.9, 9.41.6, 10.108.
Both forms would naturally be borrowed into Greek as *Rháas, which
would be virtually identical to Rhâs in the Greek sound system.
As far as I know, we don't find the river name Rhâs before Ptolemy
(c. 90-170 AD). The Greek text of the Geography only has the
accusative and the genitive, which happen to be identical, viz. Rhâ,
but the nominative must be Rhâs (it occurs in some obscure text
called Geographiae expositio compendiaria).
/ George Hinge
--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:
>
> Rha < *Srawa < *Srowos ?
>
> ----- Mensagem original ----
> De: C. Darwin Goranson <cdog_squirrel@...>
> Para: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
> Enviadas: Terça-feira, 20 de Março de 2007 22:09:23
> Assunto: [tied] Ancient Greek name for Volga River
>
>
>
> I read that the Ancient Greeks called the Volga
river "Rha". Would this
>
> be an older nae than Volga? Is it etymologically traceable?
>
>