Re: Etymology of Ossetic "Nart"? (the suffix?)

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "david_russell_watson"
<liberty@...> wrote:

> Well the Narts and the part they play in Ossetic mythology
> is similar to that of Indra in the Vedas, and his name too
> was at one time supposed to be based on *H2ner-. On the
> basis of Indra's functions and association with the Maruts
> I've also long thought that Indra might ascend to a Proto-
> Indo-European source in common with the Latin Mars. Indra
> ascends to the time of Indo-Iranian commonality at least,
> since besides Indian mythology he also appears in Iranian
> mythology, under his title 'Vrtrazan-/Vrtragna-' or 'dragon
> slayer'. Wasgergi, the Ossetian form of Saint George, is
> also a dragon slayer, and I've long wondered if he, albeit
> under a new Christian name, isn't another reflex of Indra-/
> Vrtrazan-/*Mawort-.

Is the etymology deriving Sanskrit Marutás and Latin Ma:rs from PIE
*ma:wort- still a valid one after more than 100 years from its
initial proposal? I read on Mallory & Adams' _Oxford Introduction to
Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World_ (p. 433) that
such a lexical correspondence is curremtly considered "doubtful" --
at least by these two IE scholars!

Regards,
Francesco