>
> Considering the Old Church Slavomic and Slovenian evidence, one
should
> posit a loan from (Proto-)Germanic into Proto-Slavic to explain
*sork-
> as a borrowing. By the way, is anyone aware of the etymology of the
> appropriate Germanic words?
>
> Sergei
Falk & Torp mentions for 'serk' (Norwegian spelling)
Sw. särk, ON serkr = AS sierce,f. and sierc,m. "shirt", OHG saruh,
MHG sarch, sark "container, bathtub, shrine", also "coffin" (NHG Sarg
influenced by Lat. sarcophagus ... ; MLG sark, sarik, sarke, serk
(Du. zerk) used only in the latter sense. From Germanic stems
probably OSl sraky, sraka, srac^ica "dress", Russ soroc^ka "shirt",
soroka "peasant womans's dress", Lith. szar~kas "garment". No further
etymology within Germanic.
Perhaps I should point out the existence of the Danish
word 'ol' "four score", ie. twice the 'serk'. It is used mainly of
fish. (Goth. walus "staff").
Also: 'serk' is in the good company of 'trg-', 'torg-' "market" and
the like, and probably followed the same transmission route.
Torsten