Re: b/m alternation in Thacian, Illyria and Abanian

At 11:23:22 AM on Sunday, March 30, 2008, tgpedersen wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott"
> <BMScott@...> wrote:

>> At 8:00:40 AM on Sunday, March 30, 2008, tgpedersen wrote:

>> [...]

>>> Dansk Etymologisk Ordbog:
>>> lange "the codfish species Molva Vulgaris" [ ie. "ling"
>>> http://ca.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_762509212/ling.html
>>> ] ODa., No. id. Sw. långa, ON langa, side form Germ. Länge,
>>> Dui. leng, ling (whence Fr. lingue), Engl. ling, der. from
>>> 'lang' ["long"]

>>> Somehow I doubt that last piece of information.

>> It seems to be a widely-held view, and there's no obvious
>> objection.

> We have always done it this way, and we have never received a
> complaint before.

... because there's no apparent basis for a complaint.

[...]

>> AHD4 s.v. <ling>: ME, possibly of LG origin, with a
>> reference to a PIE root *del-(1), where a stronger
>> assertion is made: that it's from ME <lenge, ling, ling>,
>> from a LG source akin to Dutch <lenghe, linghe>, 'long
>> one', from PGmc *langitho:.

> That well-known fish, the 'length'? Haha, funny man.

'Ling possesses a long slender body that can reach 2 metres
in length' (Wikip. s.v. <Common ling>).

'The ling has long, slender body and a distinct beard on the
lower jaw. ... The ling can reach a length of 2.2 meters.'
(The Marine Fauna Gallery of Norway,
<http://www.seawater.no/fauna/Fisk/lange.htm>)

The pictures show a long, slender, rather eel-like fish for
which 'the long one' seems quite appropriate.

>> Incidentally, ON <langa> was borrowed into OIr as <langa>.

> The obvious objection is that there is no reason why the
> Irish should borrow a name for that fish from the
> Scandinavians.

They also borrowed ON <þorskr> 'codfish', as <trosc>.

Brian