Re: [tied] Re: Non-Indo-European in Germanic

----- Original Message -----
From: "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 12:27 PM
Subject: [tied] Re: Non-Indo-European in Germanic


> The -mb- of 'lamb' and 'comb' is from -m-

It isn't in these words (though of course excrescent /-b-/ may appear in
clusters like /-ml-/ or /-mr-/, as in <thimble> (OE �y:mel/�y:ml-), and the
<-mb> of <thumb> (OE �u:ma) is only orthographic, not etymological):

Eng. lamb < OE lamb ~ lomb (with the <b> pronounced) < PGmc.
*lambaz/*lambiz-;

Eng. comb < OE camb ~ comb (with the <b> pronounced) < PGmc. *kamba- <
*g^ombHo- (cf. Gk. gompHos, Skt. jambHa- 'tooth', Slavic *zo~bU 'tooth').

Piotr