Re: PIE Ud-

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, st-george@... wrote:

> >Cf. the German word for 'origin': Ursprung = that which
> >springs out from.
> >
> >Lars
>
> Modern german Ur-/ur- doesn't give any hint whatsoever
> that its ancient form could have meant <ut -> aus> "out"
> (e.g. Utgang > Ausgang). In German, anyone will perceive
> the prefix as meaning "primeval," "primordial." (just
> consider e.g. uralt, urtümlich, Urängste, Urkunde, Urknall,
> Urschrift, Urheber; OTOH, urig "urwüchsig" (genuine!) +
> "comic/al")
>

That's because as Ur- as preposition (still alive in Swedish) and
nominal counterpart of verbal er- (cf Urlaub/erlauben;
Urkunde/erkunden) became ever rarer, its meaning was influenced by
one of the few survivors, namely Ursprung.


Torsten