--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew Jarrette" <anjarrette@...> wrote:
>--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew Jarrette" <anjarrette@...>
wrote:
> The
> association between these three meanings is so obvious
>
Another quick rectification: "obvious" was not the best word here.
The connection between "young" and "eternity" is not obvious. But
their derivation from a basic idea of "life" is straightforward (a
better word to use, I think).
Also besides "full of the vigour of life", "young" could also refer to
being "in the prime of life", as mentioned before by Piotr, and
therefore have reference to a time rather than, or in addition to,
energy or animation, and therefore be more closely related to the idea
of "lifetime". In any case, relation to semitic *hayya- "to be alive"
seems plausible.
That being said, despite all this, I also don't think it's impossible
that, like Peter said, *h2jew- "life" and *Hjew- "young" might be
separate roots, especially if ON <jóð> is from *jeut- or similar. But
as well I don't think it's _absurd_ to think that the meanings "life"
(> "lifetime" > "eternity") and "young" could derive from a common root.
Andrew