Re: [tied] Re: Etymology of "Warsaw"

From: Sergejus Tarasovas
Message: 34033
Date: 2004-09-06

> From: tgpedersen [mailto:tgpedersen@...]

> That alternation, and the one in
> Daugava ~ Dauguva is reminiscent of the similar one in 'apa' ~
> Latv 'upè' "water, river" and of Kuhn's ur/ar substrate language,
> makes me suspicious that it is the 'apa' word or a derivative (cf
> for semantics German 'Aue' "meadow").

Usually, the *-(u)w- ~ *-aw- alternation in the Baltic suffix in question is
explained as reflecting the PIE zero/full grade ablaut (see, eg., Maz^iulis'
Prussian etymological dictionary s.v. *Ja:tva:). The *u in *-uw- is of
phonetic origin rather than etymological.

Sergei