Re: CHAT: Natlang word relations
From: | Grandsire, C.A. <grandsir@...> |
Date: | Thursday, November 18, 1999, 9:10 |
Barry Garcia wrote:
>
> This question has been bothering me all day, it is, are the words
> "Cernnunos" ("The horned one" from Celtic myth) and "cornu" (or whatever
> the Latin is for horn) related (even if very distantly) to eachother? It
> seems plausible to me. *shrug*
>
> _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
>
> 'The beginning calls for courage; the end demands care'
For me too. The Latin word is "cornus" or "cornu" (fourth declension,
not first), I don't remember exactly. The alternance e-o is often found
inside I-E languages and between them (rests of the e-o alternation in
PIE), and I think Celtic languages are like Latin in that they kept the
velar stop of PIE, whereas Germanic languages changed it to /h/ (and
reintroduced a velar stop by losing the aspiration of the aspirated
velar /kh/, but that's another story). Am I right or completely off?
--
Christophe Grandsire
Philips Research Laboratories -- Building WB 145
Prof. Holstlaan 4
5656 AA Eindhoven
The Netherlands
Phone: +31-40-27-45006
E-mail: grandsir@natlab.research.philips.com