Re: Lugh *luek-

> I have seen Lugh as coming from *leuk- on several websites. Almost
> always with a footnote saying that there is some problem getting

Lugh

> or Lugus from the *leuk- root.
>
> I have no problem believing that there is no connection between the
> two but could someone explain the difficutly in linking these two
> together? Is it that the PIE k would not give us a g sound? if

that

> is so then why?

PIE -k- gives Gallo-Brittonic -k- (written -c- in the Latin
alphabet), so this should not have produced -g- in Gaulish,
Celtiberian, etc. Common Celtic *Lugus looks like it must come from
PIE *leug- or *leugh-, unless there was a very early substitution of -
k- with -g- in the Proto-Celtic dialects (which seems unlikely to
me). I see nothing in Lugus/Lleu/Lug's character which requires him
to be a god connected with "light" (*leuk-). Personally, I prefer an
etymology connecting him with "division" (PIE *leug-) or the "oath"
(PIE *leugh-).

- Chris Gwinn