[tied] Re: IE right & 10

From: tgpedersen
Message: 34130
Date: 2004-09-13

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, enlil@... wrote:
>
> > Yes, I can imagine that. So, as far as I can understand your
point of
> > view, all the languages that borrowed the numeral from the
Semitic
> > source, and that can have had their own expressions for it
before that
> > adoption, shared the concept of the numeral seven, being divine,
thus,
> > this happened due to a taboo, right? Could this imply certain
cultural,
> > economic, trading superiority of the Semitic people?
>
> Yes. I do think that this is part of a cultural and economic
exchange
> from the Near and Middle East outwards, but 'superiority'? And of
the
> Semitic people specifically? No. I think that it's clear that
Anatolia
> in general, whether it be from Semites, Hattians, Hurrians or what
> have you, were the major influence on northern peoples. However,
maybe
> I'm mad but I get the overall impression that the Eastern
Mediterranean
> was the source of the neolithic economy that would seed the later
> 'civilisations'.
>
> Waterways would be an excellent way to haul goods rather than by
land
> and, while I'm no sea captain, I'd imagine you can get from
Palestine to
> the north coast of the Black Sea without too much trouble.

But what about all the sea monsters?


>It would just
> take time, but not as much time as dragging the goods across
desert,
> forest and tundra :)
>
> Perhaps the reason for the adoption of the _Semitic_ word
for 'seven'
> per se is a) because the Semites would have been well connected to
the
> Eastern Mediterranean at the time and b) because they might be the
source
> of the numerological cult that perhaps stems from something
agricultural.
> (I'm thinking a lot lately about how old the concept of the
calendar is
> and whether it has bearing on this symbol of seven.)
>


As is my habit, I will mention
Japanese 'subaru'/'suharu'/'sumaru' "the Pleiades, the seven
sisters". As can be seen here

http://www2.gol.com/users/stever/subaru.htm

people have tried to make Sanskrit sense of that wordset, which, as
far as I know is not connected by any known Sanskrit or Japanese
sound law and therefore under suspicion of being a loan from some
third language.

Torsten