From: Joao S. Lopes
Message: 64493
Date: 2009-07-31
On 2009-07-30 23:05, Brian M. Scott wrote:
> No one denied this. The point is that these are not related
> to the 'holy' word. Read Vasmer more carefully: for the one
> he gives 'Praslav. *sve^tU', for the other. 'Praslav.
> *sveNtU'.
I would add that the latter (< *k^wento-) may have been conflated with
the Slavic reflex of *swento- or *swn.to- 'strong, vigorous' (cf. Gmc.
*swinþa-, *sunða-), hence the meaning 'strong' (rather than 'holy') of
the protheme *sveNto- in personal names.
Piotr