Re: [tied] Re: Latin [homo] from PIE *dhgho_mon- = Earth dweller?

On 8/30/04 3:26 AM, Kim Bastin wrote:

> On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 16:55:58 -0000, Anthony Appleyard wrote:
>
>
>> Someone wrote:
>>
>>>Is there any explanation of Latin _hu:ma:nus_, in particular its
>>>long >/u:/ ?
>>
>>There may be some influence from [humus] = "ground": "one who lives
>>on Earth" as distinct from gods and spirits.
>
>
> But _humus_ is from the same *dhgh^em- root anyway. And _humus_ has a
> short u.

I simply don't know a plausible explanation of <hu:ma:nus>. Hypothetical
*g^Hm.hnos might perhaps have yielded *(g?)ma:nus, possibly reshaped to
restore the connection with <humus>, but why the length?, or if with
<u:> from *oi, why "on earth" the diphthong?

Piotr