From: Bhrihskwobhloukstroy
Message: 71047
Date: 2013-03-07
>*Bhr.: why?
>
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "stlatos" <sean@...> wrote:
>>
>> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "dgkilday57" <dgkilday57@> wrote:
>> >
>> > --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "stlatos" <sean@> wrote:
>>
>> > > There's no reason to expect a regular change for either above;
>> > > quadru- shows tr > dr , dr > tr in taeter , maybe vitrum , and
>> > > definitely:
>> >
>> > In _quadri/u-_ we may have contamination with an old word for
>> > 'whetstone', *quadrum, replaced by _co:s_; cf. OE _hwaet_ 'keen, bold',
>> > OS _hwat_ 'id.', OHG _(h)waz_ 'sharp, rough, severe', ON _hvatr_ 'bold,
>> > vigorous'; OE _hwettan_, OHG _wezzan_, ON _hvetja_ 'to whet', from PGmc
>> > *xwatjanan. Whetstones are generally square and *quadrum could have
>> > passed into the meaning 'square', whence _quadra:re_ 'to make square',
>> > and squares have 4 corners.
>> >
>> That is certainly a possibility that I would never have thought of.
>> There's a reason for that.
>>
> Note that Pokorny's root-shape *kWe(:)d-/*kWo(:)d- (IEW 636) is impossible.