--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...> wrote:
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "alexandru_mg3"
<alexandru_mg3@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Could somebody help with a PIE root and the derivation of Ianus
> >
> > I could find PIE *ia: from the PIE *ei - 'to go'
> >
> > URL:
> > http://64.233.183.104/search?
> > q=cache:d2b35w8ckmAJ:www.bookrags.com/other/religion/janus-eorl-
> > 07.html+Ianus+indo+european&hl=en
> >
>
> I've seen him matched with 'Diana'.
>
>
> Torsten
*********
Puhvel "Comparative Mythology", which I take as pretty reliable on
etymology, has "Other figures had nonce names: the two-faced Janus was
literally 'Gateway', the numen of entrances and beginnings."
Dumezil "Archaic Roman Religion" has "The probable etymology of
his name, a stem in -o, or, archaically, -a stem in -u- ... identifies
him as 'passage'. It is built on the base *y-a-, an expansion of *ei,
which, in the other Indo-European languages where it has produced a
derivative, also indicates a passage: the Irish 'ath' ..from *ya-tu-
means 'ford'." He also has a footnote doubting Ernout's suggestion
that Janus may come from the Etruscan, "it is easier to imagine the
transition of 'Janus' to Etruscan 'Ani' than the reverse."
On the other hand, my 1857 Keightley's Classical Mythology, which
is unreliable for etymology, but does generally get the facts of
mythology straight, has "An ancient Latin name for the Moon was Jana.
In the Salian hymns she was invoked as Deiva Jana, which became
Deivjana, and ultimately Diana. ... The masculine of Jana is Janus."
and goes on to speculate that, if Jana was the Moon, Janus must be the
Sun (with some supporting, if not convincing, evidence).
Dan Milton