Re: [tied] greek phallus

----- Original Message -----
From: "Piotr Gasiorowski" <piotr.gasiorowski@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] greek phallus



----- Original Message -----
From: <alexmoeller@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 7:18 PM
Subject: [tied] greek phallus


> which are the slavic cognates for the greek phallus?
> did latin have had a similar word or was the latin one derived from
> another root?

There is no Slavic cognate that I know of. Latin pe:nis < *pes-ni- is
usually assumed to be related to Gk. peos and Skt. pasas- (*pés-es-).
The ordinary 'cock' word in colloquial Latin was <mentula> (prudishly
ignored by some Latin dictionaries), which I suppose was a dimunutive
based on the *menth2- root we've just discussed in connection with
churning and firesticks (the Prometheus thread).

Piotr


thank you Piotr. Beside your answer I understand now the meaning of an
expresion in folk's mouth which I never could understood.
In romanian "menta" is the name of a plant. The plant which in latin is
"menthus" in slavic "menta" and I guess even in english "mentolate" says
something.
so on this basis I could never make the head and the tail of the
expresion " rubbing the mentha"= in rom. "freci menta" which is used to
say when you do not have anything to do and are just loosing time.
Now, when I learned the latin meaning of mentula, It becomes clear the
conection between rubbing & menta , connection which was impossible to
say regarding to a plant.:-))

thank you