From: Trond Engen
Message: 62081
Date: 2008-12-15
> Assuming a substratal filter doesn't explain the structure ofAnother take: There's also an adjective (and a well established pun) Da. + Sw. <ren>, No. <rein> "clean" < ON <hreinn> < *xraini-, derived from the o-grade of IE *kr-ey- "separate, choose". The animal name could be "the chosen", either directly from the adjective or by back-formation from the compound <hreindýri>. It might have denoted the animal as an object of trade, after how herds were rounded up and animals singled out to be sold or slaughtered. Or, noting <-dýri> with a final i as opposed to <dýr> "animal", perhaps it originally meant "single animal in the herd" at a time when <dýr> was still a collective.
> *xraina- or the nature of its supposed relationships. The kind of
> formation represented by *xraina- < *k(^)roi-no- (?) is well-known
> (the "tormos" type); it's just the root that is difficult to
> identify. At any rate, the association with 'horn' is by no means
> guaranteed. There's more to being a reindeer than sporting a pair of
> antlers (isn't there, Rudolph?).