Re: Scythian tribal names: Paralatai

--- In cybalist@... s.com, "david_russell_ watson" <liberty@... >
wrote:
. . 

For this example, at starling.rinet. ru there are many relationships
and rules proposed that I don't consider correct, including some for
the word 'badger'. In Turkic languages this is borsuq, morzuq, etc.
They seem obviously related, but how? Without the intermediate
borsmuq, metathesis wouldn't seem likelier than original mb- or bm-.
The lack of this one word would have kept the correct chain from being
validated.

Now, grouped within North Caucasian:

Meaning: badger

Tsezi: birušo

Ginukh: birušo

Bezhta: beruse

Gunzib: miruš

This oddity is a good piece of evidence for the proposed
"macro-family" (not good enough, in my opinion), but it again hinges
on ONE word without which it could just as easily be seen as
coincidence. It's only mirus^ that establishes a shared oddity that
almost must be explained by common origin in a genetic or borrowing
context.

Just as one word with m not b can change the set of arguments needed
for this word, so one with N not g could have affected mine. Am I to
give up everything because of the vagaries of history?

It's interesting but it may be due to borrowing. Could you check to see what the Yeniseian and Burushaski forms are? According to something I read long ago, Turkic originated next to Yeniseian and, as you know, Bengtson and his crew ling Yen. & Bur. to NE & NW Cauc. It would be an interesting check on things. 

But there are Turkic languages in and around the Caucasus and a loan from one of those would be more plausible

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