OT: Finns.
| From: | Lars Finsen <lars.finsen@...> |
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| Date: | Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 22:11 |
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It occurred to me today that two of the names used for the Finnish
people might be related. "Kven" is an old name, known perhaps first
from Adam of Bremen, 11th century. "Finn" is even older, known from
Ptolemy, 2nd century CE. Now if "Kven", or "Kwen" or "Kwenn" was
borrowed into Celtic at an early stage, it regularly would become
"Pen" or "Penn" (except in Spain or Ireland). And if "Penn" was
borrowed into Germanic before Grimm's Law, "Fenn" would result.
Anybody here more in the know about this? Wikipedia tantalisingly
mentions a theory that the two words may be cognates, but gives no
reference.
LEF
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