Re: Romance Pequeno, Pequeño, Petit, Piccolo

From: Abdullah Konushevci
Message: 31660
Date: 2004-04-01

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "m_iacomi" <m_iacomi@...> wrote:
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao" wrote:
>
Romanian "pic" `small quantity (of something)` assumed onomatopoeic.
Romanian word "mic" (`small`) and Sicilian counterpart "nicu"
(`id.`) related to a Greek word, possibly through a VL intermediate
*miccus; also Catalan and Italian "mica" `small quantity, nothing` (<
Lat. "mic(c) a") fit in here.
To be noted Romanian "pitic" `dwarf`, correlated by DEX authors with
(OC) Slavic "pitikU", word in fit also with Romances.

Regards,
Marius Iacomi
************
I don't know how much these roots could be onomatopoeic or
expressive, but I know for sure that they have PIE form *mei- 'small'
(Watkins, *mei-2, Pokorny, *mei-5) and *peig^-/peik^- 'to cut, mark
(by incision)'. According to Watkins, this root is treated in satem
languages as not ending in palatal, but like in pure velar. I
remember that this second root was treated in length in Cybalist,
until first one I am not sure.
I believe that Rom. <pik> 'small quantity (of something)' can't be
separated from Alb. <pikë> 'point, drop, small quantity' and
<picërr> 'bit, small part' as well as Rom. <mic> 'small' from Alb.
<micërr> 'trifle', <mickël> 'id.', <micërroj> 'to trifle'. I gues
that Alb. forms are dubble suffixed zero-grade forms *mi-sk-lo >
mickël (cf. also <pickoj> 'to pinch, to nib'). etc.

Konushevci