--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, george knysh <gknysh@...> wrote:
>
> *****GK: If Piotr (or others) don't find anything
> else, then perhaps this "sorok" + "sorochitsa" can be
> added to our list of illusive cognates.*****
> >
Not just yet.
Consider the following quotations from Dahl's _Dictionary of living
Great Russian language_ (SPb, 1882):
"_sórokU_ ... sobolI ponyne^ prodajots'a _sorokami_ ili _soroc^kámi_,
c^to i zov'otsia _sóbolI v sórokaxU_ ... kaz^dyj _soroc^ekU_ (na
polnuju s^ubu) vloz^enU vU c^axolU, v soróc^ku"
'_sórokU_ ... saber (skins) up to this day are sold in _sorokU's_ or
_soroc^ók_'s, and thus called _saber in sórokU's_ ... every
_soroc^okU_ (that much it tooks to make a coat) is put in a bag
[or 'sack','cover' -- S. T.] (called) _soróc^ka_'
"_soróc^ka_ ... c^axolU, me^s^okU, nade^vajemyj na s^tuku krasnago
(ars^innago) tovara, oboloc^ka; c^axol na me^xU, na s^ubu i pr."
'_soróc^ka_ ... cover [or 'bag' -- S. T.], sack put on piece of
drapery, covering; a bag (or 'sack', 'cover') for fur, a (fur) coat
etc.'
Vasmer (being one of the most eminent specialists in (East) Slavic
Grecisms) thinks that "...the explanation from Middle Greek
_sarákonta_ '40' is problematic in view of early (9th c.) deletion
of -ko- (cf. Modern Greek _saránta_ '40')."
So it's the time to add this _sorokU_ and _sarákonta_ to our list of
illusive cognates.
Sergei