Re: Hercynian (again)

From: Torsten
Message: 68350
Date: 2012-01-04

> Hubschmid, in regard to the Jura Mountains and related appellatives, discussed the connection between 'oak-forest' and 'forested mountain' ('Berg', 'Bergwald', usw.), and this is probably another example. That is, if the primary sense of *perkWu- is 'oak', we can easily get to 'oak-forest' and 'forested mountain' in derivatives, then back to 'pine-forest' and 'pine' in appropriate areas. Oaks are supposedly immune to lightning (also laurels, eagles, and seals, if you believe the ancients), so the transfer of *perkWu- to the epithet of the thunder-god, which could easily become his name, is straightforward. In the Norse case, the connection with hammering may have arisen independently. With a great deal of smith-work going on in their economy, thunder could easily be portrayed as divine hammering.


Here's something for lazy Trond:

There was a 'beech forest' in the neighborhood, so the sense 'oak forest' is probably legit.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/66250
Perhaps *wo:st-unja/pust-unja "barren area" is part of the same group?

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/66799?unwrap=1&var=1&l=1
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/20843?unwrap=1&var=1&l=1
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/48770?unwrap=1&var=1&l=1


Torsten