Richard Wordingham wrote:
>> how sure is the reconstruction of *bhebHru- in fact?
>
> Quite secure. See
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/15273 and
thank you Richard. in the message above Piotr showed as follow:
Latin fiber 'beaver'
Slavic *bobrU, *bebrU, (only South Slavic) *bIbrU 'beaver'
Lith. babras, bebras, OPr. bebrus 'beaver'
Avestan bawra- 'beaver'
Old Indo-Aryan babHru- 'brown; mongoose'
Celtic *bibro-, *bibru-, *bebro- (only as an onomastic element)
Germanic *bebru- 'beaver'
The rom. word is "breb" and it is considered to be a loan from Slavic.
I wonder if the actualy South Slavic languages present the methatised
form of Slavic *bebrU .
Alex