From: Tavi
Message: 69887
Date: 2012-06-30
>I disagree. Not only they refer to the same plant but also they've got a -sk- ~ -zg- cluster. Too many "coincidencees".
> > Although I disagree with slatos' etymology, I must agree with him in
> > this word having initial *wr-, as in Latin ru:scus.
>
> If ruscum is a native L word, and I have no reason to think otherwise, it's related to 'rust' and 'red' from the color of its berries. Its slight similarity to * wrizgo:n \ * brizgo:n \ etc. is just coincidental (as cognate words cover all types of plant( part)s, some of which happen to be named after other features instead).
>