--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "P&G" <G&P@...> wrote:
> >> Also, as Peter kindly pointed out: "the Tocharian "earth" word
> appears as tkam (Toch A) but also as ksaise
> >> (older Toch B) and this later form points to a pre-Tocharian kt-
> cluster, not tek-."
>
> >My sources of information contain no such Tocharian form.
>
> It is always fascinating to read responses to my email, before my
email has
> appeared in my own inbox!
> My source for ksaise (older Toch B) is Schindler "A thorny problem"
in Die
> Sprache (1977) 23:25-35.
Well, you too should go back and read again. The two lines at the
bottom of page 26 of Schindler's article addresses all (both) Toch.
thorn-related examples known to him. They read:
" b) Tocharian. For 'earth'. Toch. A has tkam. , B kem., whereas B
ksaise 'old', ktsaitsäññe 'old age' (supposedly to *gWh{th}ey-) points
to pre-Tocharian KT-. "
This means that ktsaitse and its variant ksaise is connected with Gk.
phthí:no: 'decay', phthísis 'consumption', not with the word
for 'earth'.
Don Ringe, Chron. of Sound Changes in Toch. I (1996), gives the word
as ktsaitse 'old' (p.4), but expresses slight reservations about the
validity of the etymology. D.Q.Adams, A Dictionary of Tocharian B
(sic), gives the word as ktsaitstse 'old (of age)' and notes a single
variant spelling ksaise. He reports that the etymology has been
discarded by Van Windekens and Pinault due to the meaning of the A
counterpart ktsets, ca. 'finished, perfect, excellent'. The article I
have mentioned by Melchert on Luvian inzgan repeats and supports this.
I am not so sure it amounts to compelling reason, but it is at best a
different thorn root.
Jens