Re: Origin of *h2arh3-trom 'plough'

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...>
wrote:

>
> Then you pretty much solved "plow" --it's from IE *bhelg- "a thick

plank, a beam" which is exactly what

> wooden and metal-tipped wooden plows look like in Central America and

other places that I've seen in

> pictures. *bhlugo- > Celtic or NWB/Venetic/Rhaetic *blug- > Germanic

*plux- "plug or block, plug or block

> shaped thing (such as a plow" which makes a whole hell of a lot sense

more than "land rudder"

>
> > As I said before, this etymology would explain plug but not plough.

In case you haven't noticed, vowel

> > quantity is different in both words.
>
> Keep in mind that they came into English from different paths. Plow,

archaic and dialect plough, is native,

> while plug seems to have come from Dutch or Plattsdeutsch. They may

have even come via different

> substrates -i.e. NWB vs. Romance. So one vowel doesn't necessarily

sink this ship.

>

I disagree. Not only vocalism is different but semantics as well.

> Also keep in mind that English /aw/ and /uw/ are allophonic among

different dialects and between English

> and Scots.
>

I'm afraid that's quite irrelevant for this matter.