Re: Desna

Some of these names might be (Proto-)Indic or at least pre-Iranian,
which would explain *su-a:pa- 'having good water' without assuming
quaestionable substitutions.

Piotr

--- In cybalist@..., george knysh <gknysh@...> wrote:

> *****GK: I suppose it's not conclusive proof, but
> there are interesting examples of such hydronymic
> "adaptations" in this geographic area. Thus (1)the r.
> Asmon'ka [from Ir. "asman-" =stone] is also called
> "Kamyana Osmon'ka" by the
> locals.["kamin'"=stone](right tributary of the Svapa
> which is itself a right tributary of the Seim)[BTW as
> to this Svapa, my source ("Hydronyms of Ukraine..."
> has this to say== "from Iran. "su-ap"(I omit the
> marks)="good water" compare Avestan "hvapi" with
> substitution s<h on Baltic ground." (2)The r. Seva
> (Sava)[Iran. "sava" Osset. "sau" Avest. "syava"=
> black], left of Nerusa, left of Desna is also called
> "Chornivka" [=black]by the locals. There's a number of
> similar examples. So the emergence of Slavic "Desna"
> from some Iranic predecessor seems possible.******