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

On 04-12-07 11:41, Petusek wrote:

> 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.

We have <wara!> in Polish, with the same meaning of 'keep off! stay
where you are!', no doubt related to <warowac'> 'be on guard' and
<warowny> 'well-protected (of a castle or fort)'. I'm sure it's an old
German loan.

Piotr