Re: (unknown)

W dniu 2012-03-14 01:48, dgkilday57 pisze:

> I wonder whether the Old Swedish forms cited by Noreen (Aschw. Gr.
> 69-70, 1904) reflect the original anlaut. He gives <i:kurni>,
> <i:korn(e)>, <y:korn(e)> reflecting Gmc. *i:kurn-, *i:kwern-, which he
> takes as root-ablaut variants of the more usual *aikurn-, *aikwern-. But
> might the former be original (PIE *h1eigWern- vel sim.) and the latter
> folk-etymological after 'oak'?

One interesting fact about the European red squirrel is that it while it
may make its dray in any tree that has a hole in it, it can't metabolise
tannins and so *doesn't* feed on acorns and has *no* symbiotic
relationship with oaks (which is one the main reasons why the imported
grey squirrel has a competitive advantage over it).

> I wonder further whether Lat. <vi:verra> 'ferret' belongs with purported
> deformations of PIE *wer-wer-, or originated with the same *h1eigWern-
> vel sim., with initial /w/ acquired from <vi:vus> 'alive' (sc.
> 'vigorous') by folk-etymology. This can drive a man nutty.

This won't work for Balto-Slavic *waiweri- 'squirrel', however.

Piotr