Re: [tied] Re: Hung. var-oS

It is good to mention that the "war" component may have another explanation,
indeed. In Czech, there is the verb "varovat" (nouns and adjs. varova'n',
varovny' etc.) = to warn, and this Slavic *varovati is considered to be a
loan from OHG "waro:n" = to be careful, to guard, etc. (which might be
linked to OE warian, Lat vere:ri:, Gr hora'o:, all probably < IE *wer),
which is the same as what has been mentioned several times.

BUT

There is also an old interjection in Czech, "vari" (OCz forms are also vary,
varyte, varite, var, varte) "away from my way! step aside!", which seems to
be an imperative of a weird *variti (perhaps attested in a dialect around
Litomys^l: "volal na ne^j, at' vari'", i.e. "he shouted at him to be
careful, to watch out". Yet of course, we would expect *var^iti in Czech.
Despite its problematic vocalism, it might be either a much older loan (from
an older Germanic - or other - language) or it might be a genuine Slavic
expression, that must have undergone a great sound shift, due to its
interjectional use, however, I'm afraid, this might be a little far-fetched,
though.


To sum it up, the "var" component might have really meant "to watch, to
guard" etc., but we must rely upon historical accounts and facts. Three
explanations are thus possible: 1) "to boil", 2 "to guard", 3 a loan (or a
folk etymology?).

Petusek