Richard Wordingham wrote:
>
> *k-? Pokorny (root #919) has a nice set of 'magpie' words, e.g.
> Sanskrit _sa:rika:_ 'Indian magpie' (read on before objecting
> to /s/!), seemingly also _s'a:rika:_ and s'a:ri:, Lithuanian s^árka,
> Russian soroka 'magpie', Armenian _sareak_ 'starling'. Albanian
> _sorrë_ (if I interpret Starostin's copy correctly) 'crow' may
> complicate matters, as it is derived from *k^we:rna:. *k could
> derive from onomatopoeic reshaping in Satem languages, as you have
> pointed out with regard to 'cuckoo'.
>
> Richard.
why should be a magpie associated with the crow or raven? Just because
they are birds? Their noise does not sound simmilar and they are not
looking alike. The magpie has white wings and a special strange tail
which seems to have influenced its name in several languages and this
bird is "talking" a lot so to say. In Rom. the magpie is the simbol
for one who is talking everytime. In German space it was known a lot
of names for it. Germ. "Elster", mhd. "agelster", "alster", "elster"
ahd. "ag-alstra", "ag-astra",[h]egester, northgerman "heister",
"haster", a tirth ahd. form (ag-aza) was loaned in French " agace"
and Italian "agazza".All these forms should derive from an unclarified
Germanic "aga",English "agu" (Elster).See the swedish form "skata"
which belongs to swed. mdal. "skata" and seems to be the same with
"Spitz, Schwanz". The Rom. "caTã" is the word which is used for making
sounds like the magpie and the word for magpie is "caTã" ( cf. DEX =
onomatopea)or "coTofanã" ( cf.DEX unknown etymology).Pure structural,
the germanic(?) ag-aza and the loans in French, Italian (agace, agazza)
is very close to Rom. "caTã".Note that Rom. "agãTa" means :
vt to hang (up); to accost (somebody) ;vr to catch (at) catch on, to
hitch; (fig) to cavil at
I mentioned this word because it is supposed to derive from "a acãTa"
with the same meaning and the word is seen as a substratual one.
Alex