Re: [tied] Re: Albanian "vatër"

----- Original Message -----
From: "alex" <alxmoeller@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 8:54 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Re: Albanian "vatër"


> Why "veteranus" meant "old soldier" and not "old singer"
> for instance. Here is the question. Why soldier?
> More, I should like to ask Miguel if "veteranus" has "children" in
> Western Romance ?

Ever heard of idioms? <vetera:nus> meant etymologically 'an experienced
person', but its use was idiomatically limited to a particular occupation
where experience was a great asset. We also have <veterasco:> 'grow old' and
<vetera:tor> 'an old hand, old stager'. The distribution of the word is of
course pan-Romance (cf. Fr. vétéran), and Lat. vetus, veter- (*wetes-)
belongs to a very well documented Indo-European etymon.

Piotr