Re: Calaf , calamus, & halma/halm (2)

----- Original Message -----
From: The Egyptian Chronicles
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 10:27 PM
Subject: [tied] RE: Re: Calaf , calamus, & halma/halm (2)


Arnaud wrote:

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.

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Ishinan's response:

You said " I'm not so sure the match is perfect. " Based on what? Please
explain what are the difference of meanings between the Latin calamus and
Classical Arabic qalam?

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The problem is not the meaning but the phonetics :
Pt1 : a_a is a strange Arabic scheme in a noun,
Pt2 : there is H2 in Greek, lacking in Arabic
Pt3 : I don't think q can normally correspond with PIE *k
(you have the right to disagree but pt1 and pt2 remain)
PT2 is especially devastating.
On account of that, the match is in fact poor.
Unless the Arabic word is considered a LW.

There is no reason Arabic should borrow the nominative -s
and there's no reason Arabic should be *qalamus or *kalamos.

A.
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Beware of fictitious and unsubstantiated reconstructions applied to the
Semitic field. In addition, Indo-European reconstructions are not always
reliable and their rules do not apply to the Semitic languages. Besides,
if qalam was a LW from the Greek or Latin, the Arabic form would have been
qlms (qalamus).

Further, there many flora glossary terms related to pastoral cultural like
grass, shoots, herb, reed, cane etc. which are either shared or passed on
from Semitic to Indo-European, not the other way. I'll be more than happy
to introduce you to them one by one, if the discourse is civil, on topic and
backed up with sources.

Ishinan

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Ok
Let's discuss this topic.
It's a good alternative to animal breeding.
I've never looked at plants.

Arnaud