Re: [tied] PIE for copper

On Mon, 13 May 2002 14:37:11 -0000, "kalyan97" <kalyan97@...>
wrote:

>Latin cuprum, from Latin Cyprium (aes), Cyprian (metal), from
>Cyprius, from Greek Kuprios, from Kupros, Cyprus.
>
>But, in Sanskrit and other IA languages, tamba, ta_mra connote
>copper; it is often noted that 'tibira' in Akkadian/Sumerian is an
>indication of the substratum language of the region.

Sumerian <tibira> or <tabira> (written LU2 URUDU-NAGAR, i.e. "[person]
copper.carpenter") means "metal worker, coppersmith".

It is generally assumed that the word was borrowed from some other
language. A possible candidate is PIE *dhabhros "carpenter, smith" (>
Lat. faber, Arm. darbin). After all, one cannot exclude that Sumerian
<urudu>, "copper", was borrowed from a PIE name for the red metal,
*h1reudhos (Skt. loha-, Slav. ruda, Lat. raudus/ru:dus, OHG aruzzi >
Erz [borrowed from *aruti in some other IE lg.?]).

>What are the IE/PIE forms for copper (ore) and copper (metal)? tibira
>> cyprius?

The PIE for copper/ore was *h2ayes (Lat. aes, Skt. ayas, E. ore).

=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...