Re: Latin tempus

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:

>
> Latin tempus (gen. temporis) "season, time, timespan, weather" (> tempestas "storm")
>
> Is there any PIE etymology? I cannot understand why pl. tempora means "side of the head, temple".
>
> How is it analysed?
>
> 1) < *temp-os-
> 2) < *ten/m-p-os, *ten/m-pw-os or *ten/m-Cp-os

In my opinion *tem-p-es-, *tem-p-os 'a cutting', hence on the one hand 'a division (of time), a season, weather', etc., on the other hand 'a steep side, temple of the head, precipitous cliff', with the latter sense in the plural giving the name of the vale of Tempe.

The extension *-p- occurs with a handful of other IE roots signifying cutting. I do not have a good guess as to its original force.

DGK