Re: b/m alternation in Thacian, Illyria and Abanian

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

>
> At 8:00:40 AM on Sunday, March 30, 2008, tgpedersen wrote:
>
> [...]
>
> > Dansk Etymologisk Ordbog:
> > lange "the codfish species Molva Vulgaris" [ ie. "ling"
> > http://ca.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_762509212/ling.html
> > ] ODa., No. id. Sw. långa, ON langa, side form Germ. Länge,
> > Dui. leng, ling (whence Fr. lingue), Engl. ling, der. from
> > 'lang' ["long"]
>
> > Somehow I doubt that last piece of information.
>
> It seems to be a widely-held view, and there's no obvious
> objection.

We have always done it this way, and we have never received a
complaint before.

> SAOB s.v. <långa>: OSw. longa; cf. Dan. & Nor. lange, Isl.
> langa, MLG lange, Du. leng, ling (whence Fr. lingue), Ger.
> länge, Eng. ling; deriv. of LÅNG
>
> OED s.v. <ling>: ME. lenge, lienge, later ling(e (whence,
> according to Hatz.-Darm., F. lingue); cf. early mod.Du.
> lenghe, linghe (now leng), G. leng, länge, lange, ON. langa,
> Sw. långa, Norw. langa, longa, Da. længe. Connexion with
> LONG a. is probable.
>
> AHD4 s.v. <ling>: ME, possibly of LG origin, with a
> reference to a PIE root *del-(1), where a stronger assertion
> is made: that it's from ME <lenge, ling, ling>, from a LG
> source akin to Dutch <lenghe, linghe>, 'long one', from PGmc
> *langitho:.

That well-known fish, the 'length'? Haha, funny man.

> Incidentally, ON <langa> was borrowed into OIr as <langa>.

The obvious objection is that there is no reason why the Irish should
borrow a name for that fish from the Scandinavians. Or was it from
the Hanse traders? Or the French, for that matter.


Torsten