Re: Again with the PIE homeland thing- RE: *(s)teuros

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Jens Elmegård Rasmussen <elme@...> wrote:

>
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "stlatos" <stlatos@> wrote:
>
> > Why should there be any original connection between *tauros and
> > *stew-x-ros? One only means 'bull' and the other 'strong/big/old
> > etc.' which could be applied to an ox or other kind of cattle but
> > is not so applied in every IE language. It seems like nothing to
> > indicate a common origin exists. Germanic is the only sub-branch
> > that could be taken to indicate *teuros beside *tauros but that's
> > almost certainly just contamination from *stew-x-ros > *steu-raz.
>
> That is not completely accurate: Stier and thjórr do mean 'bull', so,
> even if *stew(&)-ro- had other meanings too in PIE, it is entirely
> possible that it was borrowed in the restricted meaning 'bull'. That
> may even have made Semitic *Tawr- appealing as a Fremdwort with this
> specific meaning.
>
> Jens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_s-mobile

"For example, the stem *(s)tauro-, perhaps meaning 'bison', gives us
Latin taurus and Old English steor, both meaning 'bull'. Both variants
existed side by side in PIE, but whereas Germanic (aside from North
Germanic) has preserved the form with the s mobile, Italic, Celtic,
Slavic and others all have words for 'bull' which reflect the root
without the sibilant. Compare also: English steer, Gothic stiur,
German Stier, Avestan staora (cattle) - but Old Norse þjórr, Greek
tauros, Latin taurus, Old Church Slavonic turŭ, Russian tur, Welsh
tarw, Old Irish tarb, Oscan turuf and Albanian taroç.
Contents"

>