root *pVs- for cat

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...> wrote:

>
> At 2:47:37 PM on Saturday, June 30, 2007, alexandru_mg3 wrote:
>
> > --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes"
> > <josimo70@> wrote:
>
> >> They are mainly onomatopoeic. Not sure as PIE roots. And
> >> if there was a PIE root for "cat", it would refer to the
> >> wild cat, not the domestic one, that came to Europe
> >> through North Africa (Latin cattus<North African).
>
> > Onomatopoeic yes, but old too...
>
> > Why you make reference only to Latin here, talking about PIE?
>
> > Gaelic : pishyakan
>
> This is obvious nonsense: <pishyakan> is impossible in
> Gaelic orthography. There is a <piseag> 'kitten, young
> cat', nom. pl. <piseigean>; according to MacBain, it's a
> borrowing of English <pussy>.
>
> [...]
>
> Brian
>

I. Thanks Brian I only copied pishyakan from that site
So the correct Gaelic word is <piseag>
The Romanian word is <pisica> 'cat'
It look likes one and the same word, isn't it? <piseag>,
<pisica> ...both meaning (small) cat

And please don't tell me that the Romanian is from English puss :)

II. Next Webster (on-line) indicates 'origin unknown' for English puss

"Main Entry: 1- puss
Pronunciation: 'pus
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
1 : CAT
2 : GIRL "

Main Entry: 1- pussy
Pronunciation: 'pu-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural puss·ies
Etymology: 1- puss
1 : CAT
2 : a catkin of the pussy willow

III. Could anybody help regarding a Slavic word pisica, too? What is
its etymology?


Thanks,
Marius