--- In cybalist@..., "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...> wrote:
>
>
> > In Greek, <se:po:> which meant "make putrid, rotten or rancid",
but is also attested as referring "soaking hides" in the fifth
century BC in Athens, ("dermata se:po:", Lidell-Scott). That soaking
may have been in a fat-alkaline solution, ie, soap.
>
> > Interestingly, according to L&S, <se:po:> also appears in the
form <sa^po:n>. And it also appears that <sapo:n> (soap) may have
appeared in the form <se:po:n>.
>
> The root <se:p-> has the weak form <sap-> in Greek (the <a> is
short; that's what the "^" mark as opposed to "_" indicates, a bit
misleadingly, in the electronic version of L&S). By contrast,
<sa:po:n>, which does have a hapax variant <se:po:n>, is long-<a:>'d.
It is a late word; it appears with reference to Celtic or Germanic
customs, and evidently comes from the same source as the Latin word,
most likely _via_ Latin.
>
> Piotr
Isn't there a similar -a:-/-ai- problem in the various Germanic words
for "boat"? Which was sought explained as a loan through Friesian?
Did "soap" take a similar path?
Torsten