Re: Why borrow 'seven'? (was: IE right & 10)

From: Richard Wordingham
Message: 34164
Date: 2004-09-15

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...>
wrote:
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Exu Yangi" <exuyangi@...> wrote:
> No later than Genesis was written down, I suppose, which contains
> the tern shabbath. Is that too late for the word to spread?
>
>
> >Perhaps not four groups of
> > seven, but seven groups of four?
> >
> Like the seven phases of the moon?
>
>
> > As for being a taboo word, and hence borrowed from elsewhere ---
> usually
> > taboo words find their replacements from within the native
stock.
> Withness
> > Japanese shi (death;four) being replaced from another counting
> heirarchy.
>
> But no one called it a taboo replacement or noa word.

That was my suggestion. It was one mechanism I could think of for
widespread (IE, Etruscan & Uralic at least) replacement.

Richard.