Re: Where and how developed die Jiddische Sproch

>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radhanite#Etymology
> 'Several etymologies have been suggested for the word "Radhanite".
> Many scholars, including Barbier de Meynard and Moshe Gil, believe
> it refers to a district in Mesopotamia called "the land of Radhan"
> in Arabic and Hebrew texts of the period. Others maintain that their
> center was the city of Ray (Rhages) in northern Persia. Cecil Roth
> and Claude Cahen, among others, make the same claim about the Rhône
> River valley in France, which is Rhodanus in Latin. The latter claim
> that the center of Radhanite activity was probably in France as all
> of their trade routes began there. Still others maintain that the
> name derives from the Persian terms rah "way, path" and dān "one who
> knows", meaning "one who knows the way". English-language (or
> Western) sources added the suffix -ite to the term, as is done with
> ethnonyms or names derived from place names.'

> New proposal:
> 'Radhanites' are those whose travel the
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regnitz
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rednitz
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schw%C3%A4bische_Rezat
> route between the Rhine/Main river systems
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Main
> (tributary ot the
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine
> ) and the
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danube
> river system (that route now having been replaced by the
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine%E2%80%93Main%E2%80%93Danube_Canal
> ); map
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Franconia_details.png

> On the three names of that river route cf.
> Kuhn

...

> "The German Radantia (to river Main at Bamberg) was in this way
> [various dialect forms adopted for separate stretches] even divided
> into three parts. The two source rivers are now named (Franconian
> and Swabian) Rezat, the middle course Rednitz and the lower, from
> the entrance of the river Pegnitz, Regnitz. The new units
> correponded to natural river sections and therefore gave little
> cause for objection. The form Regnitz may be taken symbolically as a
> mix of Rednitz and Pegnitz, which join there and are approximately
> of the same size. Rezat seems to have originated from Reht-ratanze,
> the old name of the Franconian Rezat (thus 810, but 786
> Reth-ratenza). It is probably the "right Radantia" (seen from down
> river), but nonetheless a part of the unitary Radantia which has now
> fallen into pieces".

> Or from *radj- -> rad-/rag- (by phoneme adaptation)?


> A connection with Ratisbon:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/26768
> at the
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regen_River
> as seen here
> http://tinyurl.com/3437ce2
> it starts in Bohemia, thus forming a route from Regensburg there.

> Possibly they used both river systems?

and this one:

The source of the (Großer) Regen river
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regen_(river)
is close to that of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Ahlava
->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radbuza
->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C5%BEe
->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berounka
->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vltava
->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbe

> cf. the city's names in Orbis Latinus:
> http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/Graesse/orblatr.html
> 'Ratisbona, Ratispona, Radaspona, Radespona, Radisbona u. -pona,
> Reginopolis, Regina (castra), Regnia, Reginoburgum, Regino urbs,
> Raegina, Imbripolis (Imbripolitanus), Tiberina, Tiberia, Tiburina,
> Tiburnia, Hyatospolis, Hierapolis, Hiaspolis, Quadrata, Reginopolis,
> Ratispolis, Regisburgium,
> Regensburg, Stadt,
> Bayern (Oberpfalz).'

> note the -d-/-g- alternation also here.

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_history_of_Regensburg
> '... Regensburg was the capital of the Upper Palatinate and formerly
> a free city of the German empire. The great age of the Jewish
> community in this city is indicated by the tradition that a Jewish
> colony existed there before the common era; it is undoubtedly the
> oldest Jewish settlement in Bavaria of which any records exist.'




> and cf.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vindobona


> Vindo-bona "base of the Wends/Veneti"
> Rad(j)ins-bona "base of the Radhans"?

-d- and -g- seldom occur as allophones. -ð- and -γ- do occasionally.
So I propose the root we're interested in is something like
*raγ- with alternants *rað- and *ray-
I expect reflexes to be 'hardened' to *rag-/rad- (and *ray-) , in IE, further, I expect those reflexes which were borrowed before PPIE -á- was 'ablauted' to PIE -é-, to be *reg-/*red-/*rey-.

As for semantics, in the data we collected above we have *raγ-(/*rað/*ray) as designation for
1. navigable rivers
2. a class of professionals having to do with 1.
3. possibly some activity done by 2. on 1.


Let's see what the relevant etymogical dictionaries have to offer.

First, a set of fitting words etymological dictionaries don't seem to find important:


Dutch reder, German Reeder (loan from low German), Danish reder (loan from low German or Dutch) "ship owner/operator" and
Dutch rederij, German Reederei, Danish rederi "shipping company" don't map well to the corresponding English words.
This is how Wikipedia links them together:
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rederij
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reederei
http://nds.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reederee
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skibsreder
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rederi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipowner
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compagnie_maritime
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armador
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armador_(Marinha)
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armator

*red- being related to
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rede_(ankerplaats)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadstead
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reede
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rade
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rada_(n%C3%A1utica)
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rada_(nautica)


Note in particular the Romance *rada-

And now for hunting for relevant *rag-/*rad-/*rai- entries:

Pokorny has

'1. reg^- "straight, direct, steer, reach, stretch, erect"
(also supporting, aiding);
direction, line (track, trail) etc.;
forms in IE neither root present nor perfect;
perfect passive participle reg^-to- "law",
rog^i- "row",
rόgo-s "erecting",
rog^ό-s "erected",
re:g^-s "king",
re:g^(e)nī "queen",
re:g^yo- "royal",
re:giom "dominion".
Sanskrit
ŗ´jyati, nasalized ŗñjáti "stretches, rushes (of horses)";
probably also irajyáti (with unclear i-) "ordains, disposes";
ŗjú-, Avestan ərəzu- "straight"
(further ərəzuš "finger", gen. ərəzvō),
comparative superlative
Sanskrit rájīyas-, ŗjiyas- "straighter",
rájiš.t.ha-, Avestan razišta- "the straightest, most righteous";
Sanskrit ŗjrá- of horses = ŗju-gāmin, ŗjrāśva-,
Avestan ərəzrāspa- EN lit. "whose horses rush straight",
further compos. form
*ŗji- in ŗji-pyá- (2nd elem. unclear) "rushing forward"
(epithet of śye:ná- "eagle, falcon"),
Avestan ərəzi-fya- m. "eagle, name of a mountain or massive",
in Hes. `άρξιφος (ie. `άρζιφος)• `αετ`ος παρ`α Πέρσαις,
Armenian arciv (*arcivi) "eagle"
(further *ŗĵu-pya-, Old Persian *ardufya- in
Persian āluh "eagle", cf
Greek a`ιγυπιός,
if reshaped folk-etymologically after α`ίξ from *`aργυπιός);
ŗji-śvan- EN lit. "with fast dogs", cf in
Greek `αργός (from *`αργ­ ρoς diss.) "fast", above p. 64;
Sanskrit rají- "stretching up, straight",
ráji- RV approx. "line, row" (= MLG reke below p. 856);
rájas- (Avestan razah) n. "space";
Avestan raz- (rāzayeitί, participle ră:šta-,
Greek `ορεκτός, Latin re:ctus,
Gothic raíhts;
Avestan rāštəm "straight forward") "direct, point, order",
razan- "order",
rašnu- "righteous" (cf Greek `ορέγνυ:-μι),
presumably also
razura- n., razurā f. "forest",
rāzarə, rāzan- "command, decree",
rasman- m. n. "battle order" (: Greek `όρεγμα, Latin regimen);
Sanskrit rāj- (nom. sg. rá:ţ) "king"
(= Latin re:x, OIr rī, s. also Gothic reiks), rá:jan- id.,
rá:jñī "queen, princess",
rá:şţi, rá:jati "is king, rules, radiates" (denominative),
rājyá- royal" (= Latin re:gius, cf also OHG rϊhhi),
rājyá-, rájya- n. "Herrschaft" (= MIrish rīge, cf also Gothic reiki),
rā:şţrī "Herrscherin",
rāşţrá- n. "dominion, realm",
Avestan rāstar- "leader";
Armenian arcvi s. above;
uncertain Thracian name `Ρη~σος;
Greek
`ορέγω (`ορέγvυ:μι only im Hom. participle `ορεγνύ:ς) "reach" (`ορεκτός = Avestan rašta- etc),
`οριγνάoμαι "stretch, hand, reach" (`ο- is prefix),
`όργυια or `οργυιά, Ionian Ep. `οργυιή "fathom",
`ορόγυια id. (presumably from *`ορέγυια ass.);
in the composite `ωρυγ-, eg. δεκώρυγος;
`όρεγμα (= Avestan rasman-) "stretching hands, feet (step); handing;
on `αρήγω s. below under Gmc;
on `αργός s. above;

venet. Reitia "goddess of births (cf Greek `Ορθία), who gets the children into the right position" or "goddess of erection?";
[or goddess of godspeed, safe journey ?]

Latin
regō, -ere, re:xī, re:ctum (e: secondary lengthening)
"make straight, steer, rule" (= `ορέγω, `ορeκτός),
e:rigō "erect" (= Irish e:irgim "surgō") etc;
über pergō, porrigō, surgō, Adv. corgō, ergō, ergā s. WH. s. vv.),
regiō "direction, line; area, region",
re:gula "ruler, line; guideline, slat" etc,
re:gillus "wowen with vertical warp";
Oscan Regatureí "Rectōri" ? (from a verb *regāre);
Latin rogō, -āre "(stretch out the hand =) plead, ask";
rogus "funeral pyre"
(Greek Sicil. ´ρογός "barn for cereal" is a Latin loan)
presumably lit. "upright stub" (= Gmc *rakaz);
re:x, re:gis "king" (= Sanskrit rāj- etc),
re:gϊna "queen" (Marrocine regen[ai] dat.),
re:gius "royal" (= Sanskrit rājya-);
Latin rigeō, -e:re "become stiff, rigid",
rigidus "stiff, rigid",
rigor "rigidity, esp. from cold; cold"
(this special sense perhaps favored by frīgus);
perhaps for *rege:re after e:rigĕre ?;
OIr reg-, rig- "stretch out, eg. hand",
perfect reraίg (*re-rog-e) "direxit";
*eks-reg- (: Latin e:rigō) eg. in
at-reig "rises", e:irge "surrectio";
ablaut.
OIr rog(a)id "stretches out",
MWelsh rho "gift", rhoï "give";
MWelsh dy-re "gets up, dy-rein "rise", rhein "stiff"
(: MIrish rigin id.),
OWelsh ar-cib-renou "sepulti",
MWelsh ar-gyu-rein "burial" (*are-com-reg(i)-no) etc;
MIrish re:n "span" (*reg-no-);
OIr recht (tu-St.),
Welsh rhaith "law",
Breton reiz "order, law, justice",
Gaulish Rectu-genus;
OIr rī-, gen. rīg "king" (= Sanskrit rāj-, Latin re:x),
Welsh rhi "prince",
Gaulish Catu-rīx, pl. -rīges lit. "C.'s people",
RÄ«go-magus lit. "royal field"
(OCornish ruy, MBreton roe, Breton roue "king" presumably French),
OIr rīgain "queen" (*re:g^enī-)
Welsh rhiain "queen, lady";
MIrish rīge n. "kingdom" (*re:g^yom);
OIr rīched n. "kingdom" (*re:g^i-sedom);
Gothic raíhts, ON re:ttr, OE riht, OS OHG reht "straight"
(= Avestan rašta- etc),
Gothic ga-raíhtjan, OHG rihten etc "direct";
ON re:ttr, gen. re:ttar "justice, law, court of law"
(= Celtic *rektu-;
in West Germanic replaced by n. of the participle OHG etc reht, "right");
Gothic rahtōn "hand to";
caus. Gothic uf-rakjan "reach, stretch upwards",
OHG recchen "stretch out, raise, hand, cause, say, explain",
German recken,
OS rekkian "tell, explain",
OE reccan (reahte) "stretch out, lead, explain, reckon",
ON rekja "stretch, spread out, explain, proclaim"
(partly iterative *rakjan displacing *reg^ō, partly denominative);
ON rakna "be stretched out, come to one's senses";
OE racu f. "river bed, course",
English rake,
OE racian "run, lead, steer"
ON rekja spor "follow a trace",
MLG reke f. (*raki) "row, order", raken "meet, obtain";
OE racu f. "story, account",
OS raka, OHG rahha "account, matter",
ON ro,k nom. pl. "origin, cause, reason";
ON rakr, Frisian
MLG rak "straight" (= Latin rogus);
e-grade:
MHG gerech "well-ordered",
OS rekōn "direct, order",
MLG reken "right, unhindered, open",
OHG rehhanōn "order, reckon, account",
OE ge-recenian "explain",
English reckon;
OE recen "fast, ready";
ON land-reki "king",
OHG anet-rehho "drake";
whether the set of
Gothic rikan "heap up",
MHG rechen "gather, heap up, collect",
ON raka, MLG raken (*rake:n) "heap up",
ON reka, OHG rehho "rake",
OS reka f. "ray (fish)",
OS raka, OE racu, Swedish raka f. id.,
e:-grade:
Norwegian dial. raak f. "track, stripe, furrow, row",
Icelandic rāk f. "stripe" (cf Sanskrit rāji-, rājī "stripe, row")
belong here with the idea of a hand stretched out for gathering, is doubtful;
through loan from Celtic before the occlusive shift:
Gothic reiks "ruler, noble, powerful" (Celtic rīg-s),
ON rīkr "powerful";
OHG rīhhi, OS rīki, OE rīce (Celtic *rīgyo-) "powerful, noble, rich",
German reich;
Gothic reiki,
OHG rīhhi "realm" (Celtic *rīgyon);
ō-grade, with a sense developed from "erect, help":
ON rǿkja, OE reccan
(for *re:can after reccan "stretch out"; but preterite rōhte),
OS rōkian, OHG geruohhen "take care of, be considerate of",
OHG ruoh, ruohha "diligence, effort, caution",
MLG rōke m. id., MHG ruochlōs, OE re:cele:as
(German ruchlos, English reckless) "unworried, carefree",
ON rǿkr "meticulous",
which is joined closely to
Greek `αρήγω "help, aid",
`αρηγών, -όνος,
`αρωγός "helper",
`αρωyή "help";
nasalized (cf Lithuanian, also Sanskrit ŗñjáti):
OE ranc "straight, proud, bold",
MLG rank "slender, thin, weak" (*stretched),
ON rakkr "slender, upright, bold";
OS OE rinc, ON rekkr "man";

Lithuanian nasalized Žemaitic rę´žious, rę´žtis "stretch",
ablaut. rą´žaus, rą´žytis (16. Jh. ranszies),
rąžà f. "stretching",
Latvian ruôzîtiês "stretch";
Russian su-rázina "good order";

Tocharian A räk-, rak- "spread out, cover", B rak- id.,
A rkäl "cover".

WP. II 362 ff.,
WH. II 426 f., 432 f., 434 f.,
Wissmann Nom. Postverb. 106,
Trautmann 244.

2. reg^-, rek^- (rek- ?) "humid, sprinkle, rain".
1. reg-:
Latin rigāre "sprinkle" (with i from e),
Albanian rrjeth, aor. rrodha "flow, pour, drop";
Norwegian dial. rake m. "humidity",
ON raki id.,
Icel. rakr "humid";
2. rek- (rek- ?) in:
Gothic rign n. "rain" (*rek^-nό-),
Crimean Gothic reghen,
ON regn n.,
OS regan, regin m.,
OFrisian rein,
OE reg(e)n, re:n m.,
OHG regan, regin, regen,
MHG regen m.;
ON rigna "rain", OHG reganôn id. etc;

Lithuanian (with Western IE k ?)
rõkia, rõkti "drizzle", rõkė "drizzle".
WP. II 365 f., WH. II 435.
...

reidh- "go, move".
MIrish rīad(a)im "go" (*reidh-);
Welsh rhwydd-hau "speed, ease";
ON ríða "be in wobbly motion, ride";
OE rīdan "ride";
OFrisian rīda, MLG rīden, OHG rītan, MHG rīten, German reiten;
Latvian raidīt "send swiftly, rush", raiditiês "fidget";
Gmc *ridjan- is found in
OE ridda, OHG ritto "equestrian",
extended in OFrisian ridder, MLG ridder (whence ON riddari), MHG ritter;

Gaulish re:da "four-wheel travelling cart";
Irish de:-riad "carriage and pair" (PIE *reidhā);

ON reið f. "riding, mounted troop, cart",
ON brande-re:da "brand iron";
OE rād f. "riding, procession, journey; music";
English road;
OHG reita, MHG reite "cart, military expedition, attack in war" (Gmc *raidō, PIE *roidhā);
cf here
Gaulish re:dārius "driver of a re:da";
ON Epo-re:dia, name Epo­-re:do-rīx;
Welsh ebrwydd "fast" (*epo-re:di-);
Gmc *(ga)-raiðia- in
Gothic ga-raiþs "arranged, determined",
ON greiðr "easily accomplished, simple, clear";
OFrisian re:de, OE geræ:de, ræ:de "finished, easy, clear, simple" (English ready);
MLG gere:de, re:de "ready, finished";
MHG gereit, gereite "finished, ready, at hand";
as noun in
ON reiði n. and m. "equipment",
Norwegian greide n. "horse harness";
OE geræ:de n. "harness";
MLG gere:de "device, equipment";
OHG gireiti n. "vehicle";
MHG gereite n. "cart, harness, tools";
ON reiðr "which one can ride through, ready";
Gothic ga-raidjan "arrange, settle";
ON greiða "fix, count, help";
OE (ge)ræ:dan "fix, help";
MHG (ge)reiten "prepare, order, reckon, count".

reidhi- in
Irish re:id "planus, facilis";
OWelsh ruid,
Welsh rhwydd "light, free";
OBreton roed in the names Roed-lon, Roidoc, Roet-anau,
Breton rouez "rare, clair-semė";

Latvian raids "prepared".

reidho- in
Irish rīad "go, ride";
Welsh gorŵydd "horse";
Medieval Latin - Gaulish
ve-rĕdus, para-ve-re:dus (from *vo-re:dos) "by-horse"; cf
OHG ga-rît n. "equi­tatus";
MHG Ä«n-rit m. "entrance on horseback";
MLG rit n. "ride";
to reidh- also the abstraction suffix
Welsh -rwydd m.:
OIr collective suffix -rad in
OIr ech-rad f. "horses" (*ek^wo-reidhā);

Greek `έριθος "servant" with prothetic `ε- aligns with those servant names with a literal sense of running, if it belongs here.

WP. II 348 f., WH. II 425.'


Orël - Stol'bova:
Hamito-Semitic Etymological Dictionary

'2083 *rad- "foot, trace"

Egyptian rd "foot" (pyr),
Coptic *rat "foot, trace": Akhmimian ret, reet, Bohairian rat-, Sahadu rat-.

Lowland East Cushitic *rad'- "footprint": Somali raad.

Cf. also Saho-Afar *radd- "descendant" (Afar raddi) and, probably,
Omotic *rot- "foot" (Hamar roti, rroti).


2084 *rad-/*rid- "go, run"

Semitic *rVdVw-/*rVdVy-
Akkadian redû "go",
Hebrew rdy, rdw, Aramaic (Syr) rdy, rdw "walk, tread",
Arabic rdy "beat the ground in running".

Cf. Arabic rwd "run to and fro".

Saho-Afar *rad- "run": Afar rad-, -erd-.

Lowland East Cushitic *rid- "run": Somali ord-, Boni -irid-, Rendille -irid-.

Connected with *rad- "foot". Alternation *a ~ *i.'


Note Gaulish redarius "driver of a cart", Dutch reder "ship owner/operator"

So it seems that the Radhanites were not so named because they worked on a particular set of rivers around Regensburg (or the Rhodanus -> Rhone), but because they were ship owners/operators, and that those rivers were called by that same name because they were used by ships.

Now if this is true, those rivers and the Radhanites received their names at a time where a single root *rað- was understood as having the meanings of "roadstead, road, ready" etc. That single root has reflexes in Germanic, but it is not itself Germanic. It seems most at home in Krahe's Alteuropäisch, Old European, given that it occurs in river names of a form known from that language, with a suffix from that language, viz. *rad-ant-. This means, if true, that the Radhanites were in place in Regensburg and on the Regen, Regnitz and Rednitz rivers before people of those parts spoke a Germanic language.




Torsten