--- In
cybalist@egroups.com, "Rex H. McTyeire" <rexbo@...> wrote:
> I read recently that the word "mammoth" was from Lithuanian...and
> was derived from two words "Ma Muth" (or close to that) meaning
> large "mole" (or ground dwelling animal)...Do any of you linguists
> know enough Lithuanian to comment or confirm/deny/correct this
> appraisal (or my memory of it)?
>
> La Revedere;
> Rex H. McTyeire
> Bucharest, Romania
mammoth (mam'uhth) n.
1. any extinct true elephant of the family
genus Mammuthus. Compare MASTODON.
2. anything very large.
3. very large; enormous.
[1690-1700; < Russ mam(m)ot (now mámont), first used in reference
to remains of the animal found in permafrost regions; ulterior orig.
uncert.]
Perhaps mammoth is parallel to:
behemoth (bi hee'muhth, bee'uh-) n.
1. an animal, perhaps the hippopotamus, mentioned in Job 40: 15-24.
2. any creature or thing of monstrous size or power.
[1350-1400; ME bemoth < Heb behemoth, an aug. pl. of behemah beast]
If true, this would be a Semitic bet - M parallel, such as
Hebrew BaGaR = (reach) Latin MaJoR(ity). Other examples available.
izzy_cohen@...