Re: [tied] Re: IE right & 10

----- Original Message -----

From: Richard Wordingham

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 11:50 PM

Subject: [tied] Re: IE right & 10

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "petusek" <petusek@......> wrote:
> Could there be ANY link between Lat dexter, Sans daks^iNa-
"right", etc. and the numeral IE "10"?
>
> The first part of Latin dexter might be seen as IE *dek^s-
>
> Many forms of IE "10" start with *dek^- , which is the very same
cluster as in dexter etc., isn't it?
>
> I may be wrong, having done no thorough analysis yet, could anyone
help me, please, and give me a piece of advice?

Well, if one starts counting on the fingers of the left hand, *dek^m
or *dek^mt '10' might have meant something like 'right hand full'
or 'rightmost'.  With the former meaning, /mt/ _might_ be
*met 'measure'.  With the latter meaning, /m/ might be the
superlative suffix.  However, why then do we have *dek^m or *dek^mt
and not *dek^sm or *dek^smt for '10'?

Richard.

Well, the semantic motivation might be opposite. Do you think, we could start with *dek^- , "to reach" being possibly its primary meaning, and (via any component) get to the semantics of "right"? -> dek^-???- >> dexter ? Any possible way? dek^-s-... I don't know...just an idea...

Petusek