Re: Lutte

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel J. Milton" <dmilt1896@...>
wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Carl Hult <datalampa@...> wrote:
> > I´ve been asked to look up the french word for fued or
> wrestling,
> > lutte. Hard to find a etyomlogical dictionary for french words when
> I
> > hardly know a word of french. Anyone who knows its history?
> >
> > Carl Hult
> ********
> lutte <--- post-Classical Latin 'lucta' "wrestling match" (I
> presume the English 'ineluctable' derives therefrom) <--- Greek (not
> sure exactly which form, but cf. 'lugizo' "bend like a twig" <--
> 'lugos' "withe" <--- I.E. root I can't cite because online Pokorny
> just became inaccessible.

Pokorny *leug #1189 p685 'bend'. Pokorny does not agree that the
Latin derives from Greek. The root is also the source of Latin
_luxus_ 'dislocated' and possibly of _luxus_ 'luxurious'.

English 'ineluctable' and 'reluctant' are indeed derivatives.

The French form is curious - wouldn't the regular derivative be
*luite? It looks like a loan from Italian _lutta_. Spanish _lucha_
(as in the name _Mucha Lucha_ of the masked wrestling cartoon) seems
regular enough, but I'm not sure about Portuguese _luta_ (as in _a
luta contínua_).

Richard.