Re: That old Odin scenario ...

On 2008-05-04 12:29, Richard Wordingham wrote:

> Given the final comment, 'incomprehensible' or 'non-comprehending'?
> I.e. not that the Germancs spoke gibberish, but that they couldn't
> understand plain Slavic.

Both, perhaps? ;) Understanding is often associated with the power of
speech in general, cf. the semantic development of Gmc. ðumBa- from
'mute, speechless' to 'stupid, slow to understand' in English and German
(not to mention the etymology of <stupid>).

Piotr