From: Tavi
Message: 66131
Date: 2010-05-07
--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:
>I'd be more cautious before putting the label "PIE" before antyhing like this. Bear in mind we're dealing with SUBSTRATE words. Anyway, I don't think the Latin word belongs here (see below).
> > I didn't say *m- can't denasalize. In fact, he does in for example *bhel- 'wildcat' (Latin fe:les) ~ Altaic *mál^e 'wild cat', but this seems rare when compared to *n-/*n^-.
>
> How about PIE *(s)me:l- "small animal, small mammal", Grk me:lon "sheep", Lat. me:les "badger, marten", Eng small.
>
The Latin doublet fe:les/me:les show this word followed two different paths, one which desanalized the original *m- and another which kept it. The first one has a parallel in Celtic *belego- 'marten'.
The substrate (not PIE!!) root you quoted has a Celtic cognate *milo- 'small animal', hence the dog's name Milou (you could be surprised about Hergé's erudition if I tell you where did he take the name Tintin).