Re: Etymology of Lugh?

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "A." <xthanex@...> wrote:

>
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugus
> Juliette Wood interprets his name as deriving from Proto-Celtic
> *lugios, oath, which would support this identification as Mercury

is a god of contracts.

>
> (then skip a bit)
>
> Lugus's name has been interpreted as deriving from the Indo-

European root *leuk-, light, and he has long been considered a sun
god. This etymology is problematic because Proto-Indo-European *k did
not under any known circumstances become *g- in Proto-Celtic, but
remained *k.

> The direct descendent of the Proto-Indo-European root *leuk- (white
> light) in Proto-Celtic is *leuk- as in the name of the Celtic
> lightning god Leucetios. So if one applies the principles of

Occam's razor, *leuk- is not the most plausible etymology.

>
> The contemporary compilation of etymological lexica at the
> universities of Leiden and Wales ([1] [2] )are providing greater
> insight into the proto-linguistics of Celtic words. These lexica
> suggest that this name is derived from Proto-Celtic *Lug-u-s, but
> this Proto-Celtic lexeme exhibits great ambiguity in its semantics
> both in Proto-Celtic and in Proto-Indo-European.
>
> The Proto-Celtic lexeme *Lug-u-s may be related to the initial
> morpheme in the Proto-Celtic *lug-râ (moon), in turn derived from

the Proto-Indo-European root *leug- meaning blackness, dimness,
darkness and to which is related the Proto-Indo-European *lugu-
meaning raven and *loug- meaning swamp, peat-bog. If this be the root
of the name, it would suggest that Lugus meant something comparable
to "Shady Male [Spirit]" or "Shady [Character]". Proto-Celtic *Lug-u-
s may equally be related to Proto-Celtic *lug- meaning "oath,
pledging, assurance"

> on the one hand and "deceive" on the other (derived from Proto-Indo-
> European *leugh- avowal, deception). If this be the root of the

name, it would suggest that Lugus means "Pledging and Deceitful Male

> [Spirit]".
>
> Since the notions of "deceitfulness" and "shadiness" are often
> closely related semantically in many of the world's languages,

Lugus may have meant "Sinister Male [Spirit]."

>
> Proto-Celtic *Lug-u-s may also be related to Proto-Celtic *leug-
> meaning league. It may additionally be cognate with Proto-Celtic
> *lewo- denoting lion, lynx or else derived from Proto-Indo-European
> *lougo- meaning aid, assistance, service.
>
> For details, q.v. [3] [4]. If this last instance be the root of the
> name, it would imply that *Lugus conveyed the semantics of "Helpful
> Male Spirit". Despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, the
> Irish word lugh does not mean "shining light", nor is it related to
> any Proto-Indo-European root connoting "luminosity". The claim that
> it does may arise from confusion with the related Irish word lugha,
> meaning "less" and cognate with the English words levity and light
> in the sense of "not heavy". The Irish word lugh connotes ideas
> of "blasphemy, cussing, lies, bond, joint, binding oath" (q.v.

[5]).

>
>

==================
To which Daniel J. Milton replied:
"it appears that the etymology section for Lugus is the work of one
Geoffrey Gleadall" ...and...
"If you click on Gleadall's name in one of a number of spots, you get
his self-description, find he has studied linguistics at University,
but not particularly in Celtic.
The etymologies are right or wrong regardless, but it's background
some might wish to consider."

Thank you for educating me on that, I was unaware of how to get any
of that info!
======================
Joao S. Lopes then replied:
"Is this *leug- "blackness" the same root of Latin luguber "sad"? Any
link to Loki?

Should be Lugu-s linked to Ligyron (<*Lugu-ron), one of the names of
Achiles? Or to Greek Ligys, -sth- "Ligurian"?"

--
I honestly do not know. I'm pretty much stuck in the corner wearing
the dunce cap when it comes to linguistics ... thus my needto come
and pester my betters!

Any more thoughts on Gleadall's assertion:
"Lugus's name has been interpreted as deriving from the Indo-
European root *leuk-, light, and he has long been considered a sun
god. This etymology is problematic because Proto-Indo-European *k did
not under any known circumstances become *g- in Proto-Celtic, but
remained *k."
????

Or that Lugus/Lugh derived from Proto-Celtic *leug- (meaning league),
from Proto-Indo-European *lougo- (meaning aid, assistance, service),
the PIE *leugh- (avowal, deception), or Proto-Celtic *lugios
(oath) ???

Sincerely and with deep appreciation,
Aydan