--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...> wrote:
>
> If *-ter- has a contrastive value in *h2(h1)s-te:r, what is the
> 'star' word contrasted with? A black hole?
>
> Piotr
>
er... not far wrong, apparently:
"*h2h1ster- was internally derived from an adverb *h2h1ster based on
the root noun *h2oh1s- 'burning', whence 'fire'. Consequently, it
meant 'pertaining [by contrast] to the burning', this last term
referring to the ever-glowing celestial fire. There is more to learn
from this reconstruction. The contrastive value of the original adverb
is effectively kept in the derived noun: the brightness of the stars
do contrast with the surrounding darkness of the night. The stars,
while being entities proper to the night, stand out in the general
obscurity, because of their partaking of the fire which burns
continuously in some remote vault of heaven."
That's why I didn't mention the 'star' part of the article to start
with ;)