Res: [tied] Re: Mak- < Mat = wood

An excellent question, matador is a specialized term.
Slaughterhouse, however, is matadero.

--- tgpedersen <tgpedersen@... com> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@... s.com, Rick McCallister
> <gabaroo6958@ ...> wrote:
> >
> > My problem with matar from mactare is that unless
> it
> > were borrowed, you would come up with mechar or
> machar
> > e.g. leche < lacte
> >
> > mata in Spanish is "plant" (although it means
> "tree"
> > in Cuba), matorral is "brush, scrub"
> > matraca means "rattle" (toy or musical instrument)
> >
>
> Macte, mactus don't make a very strong impression of
> being
> strict-pedigree IE-Latin, anyway. They look like
> substrate loans.
> Perhaps you could argue for something similar for
> Spanish (and BTW the
> use of the term matador for a bullfighter puzzles
> me; the term
> "killer" could be used for so many other functions;
> is he a
> 'sacrificial priest' in disguise?)
>
>
> Torsten
>
>
>