[tied] Re: Pita [was *(H-)p/bh[-r/l-] again again]

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "alex" <alxmoeller@...> wrote:

> Marco Moretti wrote:
> >
> > This hugely widespread item is rather suspect. It could be a
> > Wanderwort and bear no realtion at all with IE *p(e)it-.
> > I don't have sufficient knowledge about this PITTA.
> > I only can say that in Arabic it must be a very recent loanword,
> > because Arabic doesn't tolerate /p/: in Semitic words it changed
> > to /f/ in remote times, in loanwords from Latin and then from

Italian

> > it changed to /b/: Arabic /bala:t/ "country" < Latin /pala:tium/,
> > Arabic /basta/ < Italian /pasta/. Correct me if I quote some item
> > wrongly.
> >
> > Are there some useful hypotheses about ultimate origin of PITTA?
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Marco
>
>
> I am not sure if I recall correct, but it seems to me Miguel argued

once

> that the word should have spreaded in Balkan due Byzantine Empire

being

> ultimatively of Greek origin. Maybe Miguel remember about or I am

indeed

> confounding here.
>
> Alex

Excuse me, the Arabic bala:t (level ground, a smooth pavement of
stone, palace) could be relative to Latin palatium.
But it is not 'country'. Country is 'balad' or 'bilad'. Both perhaps
directly coming from Arabic 'bila' meaning 'without/without.
delay/beyond'.
But there are probably more to these words which we do not know.

And rightly if there is an Arabic "pita" (there are in the net and in
some international Arabs and workers here in KSA) it must be recent.
The local Arabs do not know such word and they do not tolerate 'p'
(replacing them all the time with 'b').

But perhaps this 'pita' thing is related to Jewish 'fita' and their
wheat festival 'shavout' or Pentecost (there is again 'seven' root in
this word).
Perhaps 'fita/pita' are related to Arabic 'fitr' (Islamic Lent) and
also to so many roots involving 'stone', 'seed', 'wheat', 'flour',
seven. And yes of course 'bread'.

Loreto