> > But I do have nice etymology for
> > ON maðkr, Da. maddike, Sw. mask, mark "maggot", I could give you.
>
> Shoot, you kno you want to.
>
Pokorny
1. math- oder moth- in Worten für nagendes, beißendes Gewürm oder
Ungeziefer ? ?
Arm. mat´il ,Laus'; got. maþa, m. ahd. mado, ags. mađa ,Wurm, Made', aisl. maþkr ds., aschwed. matk, finn. Lw. matikka ,Würmchen'.
Standard stuff. Note the Armenian form.
From
Pokorny's
I. mol- (auch smel-), mel&- : mle:-,
etc
add
ahd. mil(i)wa ,Milbe' (*melwjo);
got. malō n., aisl. mo,lr (*molu-) ,Motte (mehlmachendes Tierchen'); abg. molь (*moli-) ds., arm. dial. m&GmóG (aus *mol/mol/) ,Motte';
OK too.
and
Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages:
Common Kartvelian
*ma-t.l- 'worm': Georg. mat.l- 'worm';
Megr. munt.ur-; Laz munt.u(r)-, munt.r-; Svan m&t..
The lexeme is well attested in Old Georgian (mat.li mati ara daesrulebis 'their worm dieth not' Mk. 9.48). It must be taken to be a nominal derivative with a prefix ma- from the verb stem *t.l- 'to gnaw (about worms)'. Georgian l and Zan ur regularly reflect an old l. The original vowel underwent a change a > o > u in Megrelian in proximity to the labial. The vocalism of the Svan form needs explanation.
Now look at the distribution. Kartvelian, Armenian, Germanic, and the word is derivable in Kartvelian only.
That looks kinda solid. But, complication:
Common Kartvelian(?) *mG- 'moth(?)': Georg. mG-il- 'moth, a small worm'; Svan mG-ul 'insect'.
The word is found in Old Georgian: arca mGilman ganrq.unis... 'neither moth corrupteth...' Lk. 12.33. The Georgian and Svan cognates have different derivational affixes (the final l of the inherited stem could not have been preserved in Svan).
this seems to be related, but not derivable from *t.l-
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/48943
Torsten