--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:
>
> melissa < *melikhya < *meli-likhya < *melit-lig^Hih2- "honey-licker"
Yes, exists such etymology in Pokorny (*melit- 723).
But Beekes gives as well other etymologies:
On its own stands melissa, -tta f. `bee' (Il.), after Schwyzer Glotta
6, 84ff. (thus Fraenkel Glotta 32, 21) haplological for *meli-likh-
ya "honey-leckering"; compare Skt. madhu-lih- m. "honey-lecker" =
`bee'; acc. to others however from *melit-ya, e.g. Lohmann Genus und
Sexus (Erg. -h. 10 to KZ) 82 recalling Arm. melu `bee' from melr
`honey' (thus Schwyzer 320).
Nevertheless, it's hard to have exact etymology for *melitom (Alb
mjaltë 'honey') and *melit-ya or *melit-t-ya 'honey-bee': Greek
melissa/melitta and Alb bletë.
Konushevci