This romantic etymology is canvassed by
some extreme "Croato-Iranists" on the Internet, but is completely unlikely from
the formal point of view (quite apart from historical and geographical
difficulties). The ethnonym "Hrvat" (*x(U)rvat-) may very likely be of
ultimately Iranian origin, though I don't find any of the traditionally offered
etymologies quite satisfying. Trubachev's well-known but arbitrary derivation
from conjectural *har-va(n)t- "having women" and the postulated correspondence
of Sar-mat- and Har-vat- ("s-Aryan" vs. "h-Aryan") are mere etymological parlour
games.
Piotr
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2001 6:34
AM
Subject: [tied] Re: Croatians
Is this possible: sarasvati > haraquaiti (arachosia)
> hrvat > kravat
> croat?