Re: *pYerkW+

gpiotr wrote:

>In my opinion, the Slavic word could be a blend involving
>Germanic *xarsta- and Slavic *xvostU 'tuft, clump; tail'
>/*xvastU 'weed'.

How about this etymological explanation given by my German
dictionary for der Quast and die Quaste ['kvast&] ("Büschel;
Bausch")?

<<Mittelhochdeutsch quast(e) "Büschel, Wedel von einem
Baum, Laubbüschel, Federbüschel" < germanisch *kwastu;
zu indogermanischem *guos-, *gues-, *gus- "Gezweig, Laub-
werk">>

George