Res: [tied] Re: eidechse and hexe (on witches and lizards)

I know the first part of *agWi-thehso:n "lizard" (the *a was umlauted to /e/, and it's /T/, not /d/, cf. OE a:thexe and Old Saxon egithessa, egithassa; I believe <ewithessa> may also be documented for OS) comes from PIE *ogWhis "snake", like Greek <ophis> (which I believe means "viper") and Sanskrit <ahi-> (I believe "snake"). The second part looks like a derivative of IE *teks- "construct, make, weave, etc." but I don't know what the semantic connection would be.

The first part of *xaga-tus(s)jo:n is probably the "hedge, fence, enclosure" root (with several Germanic derivatives including English "hedge"), but the second part I don't know; cf. Old Norse <tu:nriDa> "witch, ghost", literally "fence-rider".

Andrew

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao S. Lopes" <josimo70@...> wrote:
>
> What are the IE etymologies for:
> Germanic *eg(W)i-dexsan "lizard"
> Germ. *xaga-tussan "hag"
>
>
> JS Lopes
>