Re: *Twah-

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel J. Milton" <dmilt1896@...>
wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > from Møller:
> >
> > Gothic 'Twahan', OHGG 'dwahan', OE 'Twe:an', ON 'Twa:'
> > (Dan. 'to:' "abluere, wash clean, wash away",
> > Gothic 'Twahl', OHG 'dwahal' "bath"
> > OHG 'dwahilla', 'dwehila', German 'zwehle', 'quehle' "washing
> cloth,
> > towel",
> > OPruss 'twaxtan' "bathing sponge"
> >
> > Hebr d-w-H- "abspülen (den Altar, die Blutschuld)"
> >
> >
> >
> > If it's a loan it would be interesting to know whether it was
> > borrowed with the religious/legal significance. 'Twahan' is
> strictly
> > about cleaning the body, not clothes (which is where 'wash'

comes

> > in). Elsewhere in IE, cleaning both in the literal and

figurative

> > sense is *lu- (AFAIK), but in Germanic that root is still used

in

> > the figurative sense.
> >
> > Torsten
> *********
> I'm surprised to learn that the Old Prussians bathed with
> sponges and that this is reflected in the limited Old Prussian

texts (mostly religious I believe) that survive. Even in the
Bible, from the shores of the Mediterranean (certainly more Porifera-
friendly than the Baltic), the only sponge is I believe that on
which Jesus on the Cross was offered vinegar. Or am I
taking "sponge" too literally?

> Dan Milton

****
Indeed I am.
I find at:
http://poshka.bizland.com/prussian/t.htm
"TWAKSTAN n Twaxtan E 553: Badequast / brushwood (broom) for
bathing", which certainly sounds more Nordic!
Should have checked before I posted. Sorry.
Dan