Re: Torsten's theory reviewed

At 5:00:52 AM on Saturday, September 25, 2010, Torsten wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott"
> <bm.brian@...> wrote:

>> At 4:24:33 AM on Thursday, September 23, 2010, Torsten
>> wrote:

>> [...]

>>> Another -gist for -gast
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runic_inscriptions
>>> 'Schretzheim case:
>>> arogisd / alaguþleuba : dedun
>>> ("Arogast / Alaguth [and] Leubo (Beloved) made it")'

>> (I realize that you're just quoting your source, but that
>> should obviously be <Leuba>, not <Leubo>.) That's one
>> possible interpretation, but there are others, even
>> taking <arogisd> as a single name or word. However, most
>> of the interpretations that I've seen divide it as
>> <arogis d>. The first element is then the dithematic
>> masculine name <Arogi:s> (Langob. <Arogis>, OHG
>> <Arugis>), which is found as <arugis> in the runic
>> inscription on the disk fibula from Kirchheim unter Teck,
>> also in the south. The <d> can then be interpreted as an
>> abbreviation for <deda>, a usage found elsewhere. The
>> interpretation still depends on that of <leuba>; one
>> possibility is 'Arogis m(ade) (and) Alagu(n)th (and)
>> Leuba made (the gift)'.

> Thanks, nice to know. What is the received interpretation
> of the two elements of Arogi:s?

The first element is derived from PGmc. *arwa-; attested
reflexes are OSax. <aru> 'ready (for reaping)' (in the
nom./acc. pl. <aroa>) and ON <örr> 'swift; ready;
open-handed' (acc. <örvan>), neut. <ört> 'fully, quite' as
an adverb. There is also evidence for an OE <earu> 'quick,
active, ready', and <earwunga> 'gratis' may belong here as
well. Pokorny, de Vries, and Köbler derive this from
*or-wo-, extended o-grade of *er- (i.e., *h1er-) 'to move,
to set in motion'. The name of the river Arrow in
Warwickshire (<Arwan stream> 11th cent. [in a copy of unkn.
date], <Ar(e)we> 13th cent.) also goes here and can be
compared with the Arve (Haute-Savoie), Avre (Eure, <Arva>
~965), Auve (Marne, <Arva> 1132), Erve (Mayenne, <Arvam>
1060), and Arvo (Calabria). These of course need not be
Germanic. Beyond that the best-looking non-Germanic
cognates in Pokorny are Skt. <árvan-, árvant-> 'eilend,
Renner' and Av. <aurva-, aurvant-> 'schnell, tapfer'.

The second element is familiar enough, but there's some
question as to whether it's related to the Gmc. 'pledge,
hostage' words (ON <gísl>, OE <gi:s(e)l>, OSax. <gi:sal>,
OHG <gi:sal>, Langob. <gi:sil>) or to the 'speer' words (ON
<geisli> 'sunbeam', <geisl> 'snow-skater's staff; ray,
beam', <gísli> 'Stab, Stock', OHG <geis(i)la> 'Geissel,
Peitsche, Stab, Rute, Gerte', Langob. <gi:sil>
'arrow-shaft'.

Brian