Re: OT: an axe to grind
| From: | Paul Bennett <paul-bennett@...> |
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| Date: | Sunday, February 12, 2006, 19:52 |
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On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 11:22:43 -0500, R A Brown <ray@...>
wrote:
> Adam Walker wrote:
>> --- Paul Bennett <paul-bennett@...> wrote:
>>
>>> Beekes also gives Greek pélekus,
>
>> Was this word much-used in Byzentine times?
>
> It's found in the writing of Stephen of Byzantion - but it seems to be
> used of the executioner's ax by that time. How common it was by that
> time, I do not know.
>
> The word is held by some to be borrowed - cf. Babylonian: pilakku,
Beekes states (about a third of the way down p 37) that:
The old connection with Akkadian |pilakku| is incorrect, because this word
never meant 'axe'.
He does not, however, expand upon this point. If there are any
Assyriologists reading, I'd love to hear more about it. I have learned to
trust Ray's Greek etymologies very strongly, so it seems there may be some
doubt over the truth. Anyone care to give examples or counterexamples?
Paul
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