--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...>
wrote:
> > > > 5. My opinion:
> > > > The similarity marg-/murg-/mark- 'horse' is too
> > important to be
> > > > a simple coincidence
> > >
> > > Obviously. The equation _has_ to be true because
> > it's _so_
> > important ;)
> > > Piotr
> >
> >
> > Not because is "so important" (this false emphatism
> > serve to nothing
> > Piotr)
> >
> > but because WE HAVE <<marg/k->> (the forms in -ur
> > being later
> > evolutions)
> > that means 'HORSE' in three languages :
> > -> Celtic,
> > -> Germanic,
> > -> Romanian-Substratum (/Proto-Albanians)
> > -> and in Baltic <marg-> refers to
> > animal-names for 'cow,
> > dog, ox'
> >
> > Despite some 'not clear' phonetical evolutions :
> > the fact above is for me more than a pure
> > coicidence:
> > You can ignore this if you like but I prefer not
> > to ignore it.
> >
> > Marius
> >
> What's the possibility that the word was originally
> *mar-/*mor- and -k- was a suffix, and meant something
> like "reddish brownish". You'd have to account for the
> -g- somehow and why it would be important to name
> horses for that color --i.e. were chestnut colored
> horses new to Europe at that time?
I) This idea should be analysed for sure:
a) PGermanic/PCeltic *k can be from *k- or from *k^
for k^ : We have Lith. pa'las 'light grey' < *pelh1-k^-a
for k : We have Skt. dha:-ka' 'receptacle' < *dHeh1-k-e'h2
b) A sufix -g- existed also (even is rare)
Slavic *stru-ga 'current'
Slavic *c^etvUr-gU 'Thursday'
If so, a root *mer-/*mar- root should be in relation with *meu 'dirt'
II) But I think that there is no need for this:
"the alternance g-k" existed in this root 'from the beginning':
(due to voiced/unvoiced reflexes in the vicinity of r)
------------------------------------------------------------------
The root is either *merh2gW-/kW- or only *merh2g-/k- depending if the
greek word is inherited or not
------------------------------------------------------------------
Skt. marka' 'eclipse'
Lith. me'rkti 'close one's eyes'
Got. maurgins 'morning'
Grk. amorbós 'dark'
Lith. márgas 'variegated'
Latv. murgs 'Phantasiegebilde'
Romanian amurg 'sunset'
Romanian murg 'dark-red-brown'
PAlb murg 'id.'
Romanian murg 'Horse'
Dacian Margus RiverName
PCeltic *mrixto- 'variegated, diversified, painted' Old
Irish mrecht
Middle Welsh brith (OW) gl. pictam
Middle Breton briz
Cornish bruit
Slavic etc...
Up to you to decide if
OHG *marx- 'Horse'
Celtic *marko 'Horse'
belongs or not here...
Marius