Re: [tied] Root of "marten," "sable"

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:

> This relation between Germanic *harman (OE hearma=OHG harmo) and

Lithuanian s^ermuo resembles that between Germanic helmaz "helmet" and
Lithuanian s^almas/ Slavic slemU.

> Did they reflect a common PIE source (*k^-), or a loan from German

to Baltic? If it was a loan, how to explain *x > s^ ?

Mighn't kh' have potentially given rise to both? The Germanic might
lose its palatal nature, while the Balto-Slavic could make the simple
shift from kh' to sh'. This is just theorizing, mind you, and I could
be entirely off track!