Re: [tied] Insects and other little beasts

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 5909
Date: 2001-02-03

Some of these reconstructions are very weakly substantiated or based on doubtful comparisons, which is hardly surprising, given that insect names are often expressive and universally prone to dialectal variation. A few are rather secure, e.g. *bH(o)i-k- 'bee', *k^rh2-s-ro-/-s-en- 'hornet' (related to the "horn" etymon), *wops-ah2- (apparently = *wobH-s-ah2-) 'wasp', *mus(-j)-ah2-/*mus-ik-ah2- 'fly', *slei-m- 'slug, snail' (also compounds with *gloi-m-, with Baltic and Slavic reflexes). Some can be combined into irregular word-constellations: *mor-m/w-ik-, *w(e)r-m-i-, *kWr-m/w-i- 'ant, worm', and the like. *karkr- (with variants) 'crab, crayfish' is widespread and no doubt old, though imitative. The words for "flea" and "louse" have probably influenced each other in some languages; they also have numerous irregular variants. The Slavic "louse" word cannot be reconstructed as *w(e)k^-jo-; the correct form is *vUs^-I- < *us-i-s (an i-stem). I find it strange that there are so many different "spider" words (e.g. Germanic *spin-T(r)- from "spin", Slavic *pa-eNk-/-oNk- from *onk-o- 'curved, hooked', Sanskrit u:rn.a-va:bhi- 'wool-weaver'). The Slavic "crayfish" word (*rakU) might derive from *h2arH-k- (maybe *xarx- = a by-form of kark-?) but not *h2ark- (this would have given Polish *rok, not rak); nor does it appear to be an old u-stem.
 
Your list of IE invertebrates looks so exhaustive it's difficult to add anything to it. Perhaps *knid- 'nit' -- OE hnitu < *knid-ah2-, with curious variants like Celtic *s(k)nid-, Greek konid-, Slavic gnida (< *gHnid-ah2-?), *gHlind- (as in Lithuanian glinda and possibly in Latin lens, lendis).
 
Piotr
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: João Simões Lopes Filho
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2001 3:39 PM
Subject: [tied] Insects and other little beasts

What are the PIE words for insects and another arthropods?
 
*morwex- "ant"  Grk myrme:x,Myrmidon Lat formica [*mormica<morvica] Sansk vamra , valmika Av maoirish VSl mravi- ON myrr VIrl muirb Arm mrjiwn

*karkros [crab] Lat cancer<cancros<carcros Grk karkinos,karkabos San karkata<karkrta

*plus- [flea] Lat pu:lex[puslex<plusex] Grk psylla [psulla<plusla] CGer flauhaz OSl bluxa [*blusa instead of *plusa] Armenian lu Sansk plushi Av brus^a Alb pl'esht Lit blus^a

*webh- [beetle?] Grk e:piolos [glowworm] Lat vappo: [winged animal]  CGer webilaz [beetle, weevil], webjan [beetle,glowworm] Lit vabalas [beetle]

*bhik/bhoik- [bee] CGer bion Lat fu:cus [drone] VIrl bech OSl bic^ela Lit bitis OPrussian bitte Grk sphe:x < s-bheyak-s? [wasp]

wobhs-a [wasp] Lat vespa CGer wafs,wafis VBret guohi OSl osa Lit vapsa OPrussian wobse Corn guhien Avestic vanzaka, vawzaka

k^r@.../no- [drone, hornet] Lat crabro: CGer hornut-<*hornnut<*horzn-ut OSl sruseni Gal creyryn Lit širšuo [<k^r@...]

*mu- [fly] Lat musca Grk myia,mys CGer mugjon Arm mun Lit muse OSl muxa Alb mîze

*wrmi-[worm, insect] Lat vermis CGer wurmiz Lit varmas Grk rhomox

*kwrmi- (<*kwrwi-?) [worm, woodworm] Gal pryf=VIrl cruim Persian kirm Lit kirmis San krmih Rus tcherv-

*matx- [moth] CGer maþ-[moth] Rus mot,mol' San ma tkuna [bug] Alb molë

*pepel-[butterfly] Lat papilio OE fifealde     curious note: cf. Aztek papalotl

*lu:s- [bug] CGer lu:s- Gal llewen,pl.llau

*slei- [slug] Grk leimax Russian slimak=Czech slimak Lat limax VP slayx=Lit sliekas[intestinal worm] Lat lumbricus < ? * sloimobrikos     OE sla: ON *slá [slow-worm]

*longwhr-[intestinal worm?] Lat lumbricus[minhoca] Gal llyngyr[vermes intestinais]

*deigh- [tick] Armenian ti:z [bug] Ir dega [stag-beetle] CGer ti:k-,tikkan

*pezdh-[louse] Lat pe:dis  Grk phtheiros <*pzdherios Avestan pazdu-[small insect]

*wek´- OSl *vüsi=Rus voch=Cz vesh=Pol wesz[louse] CGer wigjan[beetle, insect]

*arHk(s)n- "spider" Lat ara:nea Grk arakhnê,rhax  Osl raku "crab" < *arku? (or arku < Harku ~karku ?)

*k-a:pxi- [drone] OSl c^api Lat a:pes Grk ke:phe:n

*dhra:n-  Grk anthre:ne: [wild bee]  English drone

*kmero-/no- [hard-shelled animal] Lat camurrus CGer humaraz [crayfish] Grk kammaros [lobster] San kamathah [turtle]

*t(w)î- [mosquito?, tiny insect?] Lat ti:nea [moth] Grk silphe:,tilphe: [cockroach], se:t- [mosquito] OSl tilja

*ku:l-ik [long-legged mosquito?] Lat cu:lex VIrl cuil

*kil- [loud-noised insect, cricket, cicada] Grk killos [cicada] San cilli [cricket]

*le:k-  Lat locusta [locust, lobster] lacerta [lizard]

*s-ker-xi Lit skerys "lobster" Grk karis "shrimp"

 

I'm ready to discuss it. Please send me your comments and corrections...