From: Rick McCallister
Message: 66589
Date: 2010-09-12
--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
> ________________________________
> From: Joao S. Lopes <josimo70@...>
>
> Is there an analogous formation in the Latin adjectives
> spissus "thick",
> crassus "thick",
> grossus "thick, fat, large, bulky",
> bassus "short"?
> Cou we add de:nsus "dense" to this group?
> Are they vernacular Latin words or loanwords from
> Italic, Celtic, Ligurian neighboors?
>
> crassus < *kratsos ? akin to Greek kratos (g. krateos) < *krh2tos- >
> *krh2ts-o-
> ?
> ***R So crassus originally meant "fleshy"? That would make sense.
> Bassus wouldn't be originally Latin because of /b-/ but it may be
> P-Italic, Ligurian or Celtic, etc.
> We discussed grossus about 10 years ago or so and there should be
> something useful in the archives.
I found nothing.
It was when we were talking about the possibility of grande being related to Basque andi. Larry Trask had a conniption fit over that idea. My view was that Basque garai more likely was from Latin grandis. Then we starting in on grossus, great, crass et al. It was a long thread. I think Brian was in on it. I know Miguel was. We looked at Meillet et al. and discussed that.