Re[2]: [tied] RE: BITUMEN was IS PIE * DERU EXCLUSIVELY INDO-EUROP

At 3:40:23 PM on Sunday, January 27, 2008, Rick McCallister
wrote:

> I've seen postings that bitumen is from Gaulsih bitu-
> "beech" and originally referred to a type of gum that came
> from the sap. And that the present form is via Latin.

According to Watkins, Latin <bitumen> is indeed a Gaulish
loanword, from Celtic *betu- 'birch, birch resin'; OE
<cwidu>, <c(w)udu> 'what is chewed; cud; mastic gum' is
cognate, as is Skt. <játu-> 'Lack, Gummi'. PIE *gWetu-.

Brian