Re: Gaelic and Sanskrit - and Nuada

From: A.
Message: 36881
Date: 2005-03-30

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "CG" <sonno3@...> wrote:
>
> There is no etymological connection between Net/Neit and
Nuadu/Nodens.

I have seen multiple authors such as Miranda Green and James
MacKillop state otherwise. Have you come across any evidence why such
linguistic changes (such as Neit to Nod) are unlikely?

>
>
> > But while looking around I came across some material that
said "Nuada
> > shares the same root as the Welsh word for 'protect' (noddi)
> > and 'protection' (nawdd). These are related to Irish nacht and
> Sanskrit
> > nud- and nudati, 'protect'."
> > The only word I can even confirm as meaning what was stated is
the
> > Welsh noddi.
>
> Irish Nuadu, along with its Brittonic cognate *Noudonts (Latinized
as Nodens) and Welsh Nudd, is generally believed to be derived from
the PIE root *neud- "to grasp for something, to acquire" which also
gives us the Gothic word for "fisherman", nuta (literally "netter",
I suppose - at the tenple of Nodens in Lydney archaeologists
uncovered an image of a fisherman).
>

I had not heard of this image, I obviously need to investigate that!

As to stemming from *neud, I have seen that proposed. However as with
many aspects of PIE reconstruction, the matter seems open to some
debate. The following is taken from some work I was doing comparing
Nuada and Sax-not and possible etymologies:

Linguistic option 1)
"Not" from the Gmc. *neutan- was 'to profit from sth, make good use
of sth' (hence 'enjoy', 'consume', etc.).
And is connected with the root *neud- 'use, enjoy, possess', known
from Germanic and Baltic

Linguistic option 2)
The again, the name may instead stem from: *nedh/nodus.
Taken directly from Dumezil's `Mitra-Varuna' pg 99:
"from the root *nedh-, `to bind', which is also that of
nodus, `knot', Sanskrit naddha-, `fastened', Irish naidim, `I bind'"
The second edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-
European Roots expresses the root as *ned to bind, tie. The O-grade
form is *nod-. and is the root of such words as knot and net.

Linguistic option 3)
This is the possibility of the term stemming from some word
meaning "to protect". Having checked out a few online dictionaries I
can say that the Welsh terms are accurate.
At this point I cannot confirm nor deny the other tems involved
(Irish nacht and Sanskrit nud- and nudati)


I am not saying one option is definitely correct, rather I am trying
to explore all possibilities. If I've learned anything, it's that
what seems to be an agreed upon etymology can often be overturned in
time (Varuna and Uranus for example).

Regards,
Aydan