Re: Evidence for Nostratic? (was Re: Proto-Uralic?)

Roger Mills scripsit:
> John Cowan wrote:
>
>
> > Andreas Johansson scripsit:
> >
> > > > Then again, as JRRT mentions, there is the deeply mysterious root
> > > > korb-, which surfaces in Italic as Latin corvus 'raven, crow' and
> > > > in Germanic as "harp"!  What is up with *that*?
> > >
> > > Homophony?
>
> Is that quite true?? Latin -v- < *b or *bh??? Onomatopoeia?
Well, the alternative, if we dismiss corvus, is corbis 'basket', which is
even worse semantically (at least both ravens and harps make noise).
BTW, "corvus" also means "fellator" in Latin; go figure.

> Very strange indeed.  Surely the harp was known in the Mediterranean world
> before the Germans showed up...Egyptian tomb paintings, Biblical refs.,
> Greeks....Why would Later Latin need to borrow the word????
You got me there.  Latin doesn't seem to have any native word at all for
the instrument: I find only the Greek borrowing _cit(h)ara_ (lyre) and the
borrowed metaphor _chelys_ (Gk. tortoiseshell, lyre, harp).  I can only
suppose that the late Latins saw the harp as distinct from the lyre and
requiring a separate term.

--
But you, Wormtongue, you have done what you could for your true master.  Some
reward you have earned at least.  Yet Saruman is apt to overlook his bargains.
I should advise you to go quickly and remind him, lest he forget your faithful
service.  --Gandalf             John Cowan <jcowan@...>