Re: Decebalus, help needed

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Abdullah Konushevci"
<a_konushevci@...> wrote:

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

> > It appears that there the translation of his name should have
> been "XXXX
> > of the dacians"; the construction should be the typically IE
> > constructions.
> > Where is the help I am speaking about here?
> > The first part "deke-" should be seen genitival form of "daki" (
> > Genitive plural?). The second part is the one who should be
> explained.
> >
> > Assuming there have not been too many changes from IE to the

times

> of
> > Decebalus, then we have to explain the last part which can be

maybe

> > *balus, *ebalus, *abalus. I consider just these forms with /e/
> and /a/
> > before "balus" because I guess such kind of vowels will merge
> together
> > in a compositum as the one I am speaking about:
> > deke+balos or deke+abalos or deke+ebalos will merge easy
> in "dekebalos".
> > other forms as *ubalos, *ibalos, *obalos seems to be a bit hard

to

> merge
> > with "e" together.
> >
> > Any idea about any similar names with "*Vbalos" where one know

the

> > meaning of this "balos"?
> >
> > Alex
> ************
> Maybe Decebalus means "The head of the Dacians/The leader of the
> Dacians", through Alb. <ballë> 'head, forehead', related to Skt.
> <bhala> 'id.', OPrus balto 'id.'. Old Alb. form should be <bala:>,
> derived later <ballë> an neuter plural, as Burebista "The beater

of

> the warriors" from Alb. <bisht>, probably OAlb. <bist>, derivative

of

> verb. <bie> 'to beat'. Same formation we found in Sl. <biti> and
> <bic^>.

Sanskrit _balam_ 'strength, force' comes to mind, especially with
its suggested Latin cognate _de:bilis_ 'frail, weak'. How
about 'Strength of the Dacians'? However, I'm not persuaded that
there was such vowel alternation in Dacian.

Richard.