Re[2]: [tied] Origin of *marko- Margus murg ma'rgas amurg

At 6:26:01 PM on Thursday, April 17, 2008, alexandru_mg3 wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski
> <gpiotr@...> wrote:

[...]

>> If Mikhailova thinks the name Marcoma(n)ni is Gaulish,
>> I'd like to see some justification for that claim, plus a
>> Gaulish interpretation of the second element (it can't
>> mean 'men' in Celtic!). Similarity is not enough.
>> Theodoric and Theodore have nothing to do with each
>> other, notwithstanding their similarity. Placing
>> Theodoric among a dozen Greek names with Theo- and
>> -do:ros is not a valid etymological method.

> This is a 'poor' logic, Piotr.

This is not a convincing objection from someone who fails to
distinguish exceptional from normal outcomes. (It would be
interesting to know what purpose you think is served by the
quotation marks, which are altogether out of place here.)

> Let's make it simple to see that your argument above is
> 'poor'

> 1. Celtic marko (or a Balkanic marg-/mark-) was loaned in
> that Germanic dialect with the meaning 'horse'

Except that the Gmc. '(riding-)horse' word is *marxa-, a
fact that has been explained to you several times already.

> 2. Next of course that loan-word became a 'germanic word'
> too (like ran& is a Romanian word today too) so a Germanic
> compound Marco-manni is understandable.

Indeed -- as Gmc. 'men of the march'. No special pleading
is required.

[...]

Brian