[tied] Re: IE right & 10

--- 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