Re: Maglia

> From: cybalist@yahoogroups.com [mailto:cybalist@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of Francesco Brighenti
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 9:03 PM


> Therefore, in the dialect of Rome It. maglia becomes maja. In
> English phonology you would transcribe the latter word as "ma:ya:"
> (N.B. In It. and its dialects there is no phonemic distinction
> between long and short vowels).
>
> As to the etymology of It. maglia ('mesh, sweater, vest,
> undershirt'), it is the same as that of English "mail (armor)":
>
> http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=mail
> mail (2): "metal ring armor," c.1320, from O.Fr. maille "link of
> mail, mesh of net," from L. macula "mesh in a net,"
> originally "spot, blemish," on notion that the gaps in a net or mesh
> looked like spots.

Thank you very much, Francesco. Now I have very little doubt Russ. <májka>
'undershirt' is borrowed from Italian <maglia> or French <maillot> somehow.
A quick search on the Internet has shown that the authors of Russian
etymological dictionaries have at last realized this as well. :)

Sergei