tgpedersen wrote:
> calf:
> cognates in Germanic.
> with other ablaut grade
> ags. cilfor-lamb etc
>
> further Gallic > Latin galba "belly"
>
> with deviant ablaut *gW for *g
>
> Greek delphús, dólphos etc
> Skt. gárbha-
>
> Is it safe to conclude that this is inherited Germanic, given the
> deviant alternate root? The only non-Germanic form from PIE *g- is
> not safely Latin, so that is not evidence.
The regularly formed nominal derivatives from this 'womb/young animal'
root in IE are as follows:
(1) the u-stems *gWl.bH-u-/*gWelbH-u-
(2) the o-stem *gWolbH-o-
(3) the es-stem *gWelbH-es- (nom. gWelbH-os)
but the actual reflexes often show a good deal of cross-contamination,
including vocalism "borrowed" from related forms with the same or
similar meaning.
The delabialisation of *gW in pre-Germanic is at least half-regular
before *o other than the thematic vowel, so *kalb-a- is not deviant. The
delabialised *k was generalised, infecting stems like *kilb-iz- <
*gWelbH-es-; on the other hand, the vocalism of *kalb-a- is found in the
mixed -es-stem *kalb-iz- (OE cealf, pl. cealfru).
Piotr