--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...> wrote:
> PCelt. *nerto- 'strength' is from PIE *h2ner-to- 'strong,
> virile', where I believe that *-to- is a suffix forming
> both deverbal (participial) and denominal adjectives. I
> suppose that *h2ner-to- is something like 'having strength
> and vitality, having the essence of manhood' (PIE *h2né:r
> 'man', Gk. <ané:r>).
Thanks for that, Brian; I was clear on the *h2ner- root, but info on the
deverbal/denominal adjective function of the -to- suffix are very helpful.
However, this still leaves me none the wiser over Pokorny's *-thra- suffix :/ nor why
Ossetic (sorry for the typo in the original Subject line!) "Nart" might be derived from a
form like *h2ner-thra- instead of *h2ner-to- (as, say, a nominalized adjective?) or a later
Iranian nar ("man") with a plural or collective suffix -ta.
Perhaps there's something clever in the phonological development of later Ossetic that
precludes these alternative possibilities? Any thoughts? Or further possibilities for
Pokorny's *-thra suffix besides the not wholly certain connection to Sanskrit agentive
suffix -tra?
Cheers,
Carl