From: Peter P
Message: 43781
Date: 2006-03-11
>Suomen Sanojen Alkuperä consideres Finnish 'saivo' to be a loan from
> E:rika Sausverde
> Seewörter and Substratum
>
> "
> Germanic *saiwa- 'sea'
> On the other hand, the Gmc. *saiwa- has been assumed to be a
> borrowing from the language of pre-Indo-European inhabitants of the
> Baltic and the North Sea coasts (see e.g. Kluge-Mitzka 1975:696;
> Lehmann 1986:292). Collinder (1924:84-85) suggested Finnish as a
> possible source. He regarded Finn. saivo, Sami saiva 'klare Stelle
> im See' as the source for the Germanic word; still, according to
> Finnish linguists the process went vice versa (SKES 4:949). It is
> interesting to consider the semantics of the corresponding words in
> the Baltic Finno-Ugric languages. First of all, they have the
> meaning of 'clear water' and secondly are connected with magic,
> ritual terms. Cf. Finn. saivo 'clear water space on the
> lake/sea', 'clear water'.
>
> Torsten
>