caballus, couple

I saw in Ernout-Meillet's Latin Etymological Dictionary that the
first attestation of the Late Latin and common
Romance 'caballus' "horse" (instead of inherited 'equus') was found
in an inscription in a Greek colony on the Black Sea coast; its
appearance in time in Latin fits with the Mithridatic wars. Loans
(according to E & M) of that term appear in Celtic, Slavic
('kopyla') and Germanic (German 'Kop').

I was wondering if it wasn't a relative of the English word 'couple'
(both as n. and v.), cf German 'Koppelpferd' "equus biju:ges',
Danish 'hestekoppel' "flock of horses" and "fenced-in area for
horses"? A Roman soldier was not likely to have his own equum, he
would rather see horses as draft animals for waggons.

I suspect also a connection, in view of German 'Kupplerei' "pimping"
with Old High German 'koupo:' "merchant", Latin 'caupo:' (provincial
loan?), German 'kaufen' "buy". According to Benveniste, the early
Germani had no concept for buying and selling, in other words the
first trade would have been barter or "hustling"; something with a
low status.

Some connect 'couple' etc with Latin 'copula' (*co-ap-ula, *ap-
"bind"), I think it is from a cognate in some other IE language.


Torsten