Re: Germanic 'bear'

From: Tavi
Message: 68781
Date: 2012-03-05

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "stlatos" <stlatos@...> wrote:
>
> > Maybe *g^Hwe(:)r- would explain the were- in werewolf.
>
> It meant 'man'.
>
Yes, this is from IE *(H)wi:r-o- 'human male'.

However, this is an interesting question, because some macro-comparativists link this root to Kartvelian (Megrel) xwir- 'male dog', but IMHO this is incorrect, as the latter corresponds to Uralic *kojra 'male (human or dog)' and NEC *XXHwej-rV 'dog' (oblique form). As I said earlier, I link these words to IE *g´hwe:r- 'wild animal'.