First, I think, we should see if there is (and what is) difference between words explosion and expulsion?
Second, is Russian пуля (bullet) a French loanword (or a borrowing from Polish kula, later influenced by the verb палить-palit' burn, singe, parch), or it has been derived from the Russian word пухлый-pukhlyj (plump, rotund); Cz. oblý (round), Lat. bulla (a round swelling, knob). Polish kula (bullet) is possibly related to German Kugel (ball) and Czech kulka (bullet), probably from Slavic*klubo-k (Russ. клубок ball) and *kolo- 'circle, wheel, cycle'; also Serb.-Cr. kugla, đule 'cannon ball'.
Third, there is a Russian verb выпалить-vypalit' (fire off, go off, blurt out, shoot off) - Czech vypálit 'fire away' - that could be a cognate of Latin pello -pellere and expello -pellere. Serb.-Cr. is-paliti (fire off, fire away) and the noun is-paljenje (firing, blast-of) are using the same prefix: ex- = iz-. Of course, it might just be coincidental, but I think, it should be examined more profoundly. The Polish verb obalić (overthrow) appears to be related to Greek βολή 'a throw' and βάλλω 'to throw'?
And another question: is Greek 'ballo' related to Latin 'pello'?
I can continue with another set of questions, but what I wanted to say is that nothing "is staring us in our face". We are still far away from a satisfactory answer. As you can see, I asked some questions, to which I couldn't find the final answers. Who knows, you might be more fortunate?
Regards,
Anatoly
From: the_egyptian_chronicles@...
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
CC: anatoly_guzaev@...
Subject: 'BLOW UP' = 'EXPLOSION' was re: Push (3)
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:48:17 -0600
Anatoly wrote:
Why English 'blow' has the meaning 'explode' beside 'the motion of the air'?
-----------------------------
Strangely enough the answer is staring us in our
face:
It is a calque (or loan translation).
Here is how to explain it:
In Classical Latin, explosio /
explodo meant clapping the hands loudly (as a sign
of rejection) action de rejeter en
battant des mains (bruyamment.)
In English a "blow" was used in a similar fashion: a
firm stroke, or a violent application of the fist or any instrument to
an object. Hence the expression exchanging blows.
In French,
"explosion": action d'éclater avec force,
translated in English as: a violent blow up.
Ishinan
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