Re: [tied] Wolf, varg

----- Original Message -----
From: "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 12:32 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Wolf, varg


> tgpedersen wrote:
>
>> If there were no encounters between Iranian-speakers and Germanic-
>> speakers, it is a freak accident, yes.
>
> Reflexes of *wargaz are actually pretty widespread in Germanic and don't
> always mean 'wolf'. We have e.g. OE wearg (n.) 'felon, outlaw, villain,
> monster, evil being' and (a.) 'evil, malignant, cursed', OHG warg
> 'demon, criminal' and MHG warc 'monster'. ON vargr also means 'outlaw,
> malefactor' in addition to 'wolf', so there's little doubt that we are
> dealing with a metaphorical epithet.

Cf. also from PIE *wlkWos stir. olc «bad», het. walku(w)a- «bad».

Mate