Re: Calaf , calamus,& halma/halm

For the skeptics who would consider that my proposed Arabic correspondences
are pure coincidence, they will still have to grapple with a persuasive
explanation for the perfect match between the Arabic qalam قلم and Latin
calamus.

Ishinan

Feb. 2nd, 2009

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I'm not so sure the match is perfect.

LAtin calamus is a loan-work of Greek kalamos,
which I suppose represents *kl.H2-mo's
Arabic Q should not be PIE *k
and Qalam is lacking the expected H2.
The vocalic scheme a_a is kind of odd in a noun,
I guess **qalm would be more native-sounding.

As a matter of fact, this word qalam looks like a borrowing of kalamos.

Arnaud