Re: R: Re: Pagan - etymology?

> Date:         Thu, 13 Jul 2000 18:44:41 +0200
> From: Mangiat <mangiat@...>
> L. H. Mathiesen wrote:
> > Could pagus be a thematic variant of pax? Also cf. Greek pagos as in
> > Areopagos. (Construing paganus as a person from a peaceful area should
> > make everyone happy).
>
> But pax is pax - pa*c*is.
Sometimes, as in this case, the voicing of the second consonant in IE
roots is a little uncertain.

> > And I wonder about populus vs G folk. I really should get around to
> > buying a proper IE etymological book.
>
> I always tought about vulgus vs. folk, instead.
Very attractive; but Germanic *f- is from IE *p-, unless it's a later
loan. And for vulgus, L&S adduce Skt várga, Rask Aeolian olkhos, which
point firmly at an IE root in *w-.

Lars Mathiesen (U of Copenhagen CS Dep) <thorinn@...> (Humour NOT marked)