Re: [tied] bison

The relation of *zo~brU to Lithuanian stumbras and Latv. sumbrs remains to be clarified. It looks as if the PBSl. word had been something like *stumbras or *stumras, with an irregular treatment of the initial in Slavic (possibly due folk-etymological contamination with *zo~bU < *g^ombH- 'tooth, sharp point'?). Various analyses of *stum(b)ras have been proposed, all of them speculative. The Old Prussian word wissambras looks like a puzzling cross between Slavic *zo~brU and (M)Ger. wisant.

Germanic *wisand-/*wisund- is no doubt of participial origin, apparently < *wis(o)nto- 'stinking (beast)', cf. weasel < *wisulo:n- 'little stinker'.

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: "João Simões Lopes Filho" <jodan99@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 5:13 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] bison


> From *gômbH- "tooth" ?
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: alex_lycos <altamix@...>
> To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 11:59 AM
> Subject: [tied] bison
>
>
> > the rom. word for bison = zâmbru/ zimbru is given as coming from slavic
> > "zonbru"
> > Which should be the root the slavic word come from?Is zonbru cognate
> > with german Wisent?