Change viewing parameters
Select another database
Tsezian etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-Tsezian: *nek̥1̇V-
Meaning: 1 blue 2 green 3 grey
Tsezi: niga 1,3
Ginukh: nik-diju 1,2,3
Comments: PTsKh *nek̥1̇V-.
cezet-prnum,cezet-meaning,cezet-cez,cezet-gin,cezet-comment,
Search within this database
North Caucasian etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-North Caucasian: *nHǟƛ̣_wV̆
Meaning: blue; (blue metal) > iron
Proto-West Caucasian: *ƛ̣ʷV Notes: A very interesting common NC root. The original meaning 'dark, blue' in several subgroups developped to 'blue metal' > 'iron' (on the possible explanation of this semantic change see above, in the WC section). The PN form meaning 'iron' (*ɦāχḳi) can be explained best of all if we suppose a laryngeal prefix : *nHǟƛ̣_wV̆ 'blue' - *h-nǟƛ̣_ū (or *h-ǟnƛ̣_wV̆) 'blue thing, metal' (cf. the same archaic derivational model in the pair *mĭʒ_V 'sweet' - *H-mĭʒ_ū 'sweet thing, honey'). In that case we can also relate here (from the derived noun) a local EC root meaning 'horseshoe' (the semantic development is natural: cf. numerous cases like Darg. meχ 'iron; horseshoe' etc.): PTs *heƛ(u) A: Tsez., Gin. hiƛu (PTsKh *heƛu); Gunz., Bezht. heƛ (PGB *heƛ); PL *Häƛ̣:(a), reconstructed on basis of a relic form: Rut. äg 'horseshoe'.
Finally, another derivate from the same root may be PEC *nɦäƛ̣_wV 'gadfly, horsefly' (possibly as a "blue insect") q.v.
See Trubetzkoy 1922, 241 (Lak.-Arch.).
caucet-prnum,caucet-meaning,caucet-nakh,caucet-cez,caucet-lak,caucet-lezg,caucet-abad,caucet-comment,
Search within this database
Nakh etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-Nakh: *ɦāχḳ́i > *ɦāhḳ́i
Meaning: iron
Chechen: ēčig
Ingush: äšk
Batsbi: ʕajhḳĭ
Comments: 3d class in all languages. The word has a complicated phonetic history. The original form *ɦāχḳi was already in PN transformed (through assimilation) into *ɦāhḳ́i, which is directly reflected in Bacb. ʕajhḳĭ (notation of Kadagidze; Matsiyev has ajħḳ, and Desheriyev - ʕajħḳ). In Checheno-Ingush the word obtained a common diminutive suffix *-ḳ: *ɦāhḳ́i-ḳ, with further (regular) palatalisation > *ʔāč̣iḳ. This form, with assimilation and reduction, yielded Chech. ēčig (obl. äčka- < *ʔāčiḳe-) and Ing. äšk.
nakhet-prnum,nakhet-meaning,nakhet-che,nakhet-ing,nakhet-bcb,nakhet-comment,
Search within this database
Lak etymology :
Search within this database
Lak root: naIḳ-
Meaning: blue
Lak form: naIḳ-s:a
Comments: Cf. Khosr. naIḳ-s:a id.
laket-prnum,laket-meaning,laket-lak,laket-comment,
Search within this database
Lezghian etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-Lezghian: *naIƛ̣:(ʷ)V- ( ~-ä-)
Meaning: blue
Archi: naIL-du-
Comment: In Arch. -L- regularly < -ƛ̣:- through assimilation (cf. in the predicative function naIƛ̣:; naIƛ̣ as 'to make blue', naIƛ̣ kes 'to become blue' etc.).
lezget-prnum,lezget-meaning,lezget-arc,lezget-comment,
Search within this database
Abkhaz-Adyghe etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-West-Caucasian: *ƛ̣ʷV
Meaning: 1 blue, green 2 iron
Abkhaz: á-ječ̣̌a 1
Abaza: jač̣ʷa 1
Adyghe: ʁʷǝč̣ǝ 2
Kabardian: ʁʷǝṣ́ 2
Ubykh: wǝc̣ʷá 2
Comments: PAK *ja-c̣ʷa (with a frequent pronominal prefix); PAK *ʁʷǝč̣ǝ́. The PAK and Ub. form reflect a PWC compound *ʁ́Iʷǝ-ƛ̣ʷV, where the first part is *ʁ́Iʷǝ 'copper, metal (in general)' (q.v.). The need to see a colour name in the second part of the AK and Ub. compound is obvious: both in AK and Ub. the name of iron forms part of an opposition - in AK *ʁʷa-pʎá 'metal' + 'red' = 'copper, red copper' : *ʁʷǝ-č̣ǝ́ 'metal' + '?' = 'iron'. In Ub. wǝ-sʷá 'metal' + 'white' = 'copper, bronze' : wǝ-c̣ʷá 'metal' + '?' = 'iron'. If we assume that the Ub. and AK words for 'iron' are genetically related (certainly, the theory of Ub. wǝc̣ʷá being an Adygh loanword, see Shagirov 1, 140, can not be considered seriously), the correspondence PAK *č̣ : Ub. c̣ʷ is unambiguously pointing to the PWC lateral labialised *ƛ̣ʷ, for which the expected PAT correspondence is *c̣ʷ - and we find it in PAT *ja-c̣ʷa 'blue'.
The concept of iron being a "blue metal" is by no means strange: it goes back to one of the earliest varieties of tempered iron (steel), which was in Greek called kúanos (cyan) and was dark-blue in colour (on the etymology of this word and the related Hitt. kuwanna- see under *kwɨ̄wV). We must also mention the widespread Caucasian myth about the birth of the cultural hero from a blue stone - which metaphorically depicts the ritual of tempering iron (see in greater detail Ardzinba 1985).
In view of all this the theory of Yakovlev (1941, 140-141), Shagirov (1, 140-141) who tried to explain PAK *ʁʷǝč̣ǝ́ as "dried (ʁʷǝ-) earth (č̣ǝ)" must be obviously taken as a folk etymology. Far more right was Abdokov (1973, 48) who thought the AK and Ubykh words genetically related and explained *ʁʷǝ- as "metal" and *-č̣ǝ as a colour-name. He proposed to consider the second part as "grey", not specifying, however, what particular root he had in mind (thus invoking Shagirov's criticism). Shagirov is right, indeed, that PAK *č̣́ǝxʷǝ 'light-blue, pale' (Ad. č̣́ǝfǝ, Kab. ṣ́ǝxʷ) can not be involved (it has č̣́, not č̣). For Ubykh Abdokov probably meant the root present in Ub. cʷa-bá 'greyish' - which is actually possible (note a quite analogous variation c̣ʷ / cʷ in the Ub. reflexes of PWC *ƛ̣ʷV 'earth' q.v.).
There is more to be said about the hypothetical PWC *ʁ́Iʷǝƛ̣ʷV 'iron'. Since several authors relate the Hatti language to WC (see, e.g., Ivanov 1985), it seems very tempting to relate *ʁ́Iʷǝƛ̣ʷV to the attested Hatti name for 'iron', χap/walki (with χVw- rendering *ʁ́Iʷ- and -lk- rendering the lateral -ƛ̣-), borrowed in Hurrian as χabalgi, and further - Greek khalkó-s, Balto-Slav. *geleǵ- etc. (see Starostin 1985).
abadet-prnum,abadet-meaning,abadet-abk,abadet-aba,abadet-adg,abadet-kab,abadet-ubk,abadet-comment,
Search within this database
Sino-Caucasian etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-Sino-Caucasian: *nHǟ́ƛ̣wV̆
Meaning: dark, blue
Comments and references : The semantic connection of 'blue' and 'iron' is found in PNC *nHǟƛ̣_wV̆ 'blue; (blue metal) > iron' and Bsq *urdi-n 'blue, gray', *burdina 'iron'. It is uncertain whether this association existed already in the ancestor of Bsq and NC, or developed independently. If original, the word may have referred to rare, and expensive, meteoric iron.
sccet-meaning,sccet-prnum,sccet-cauc,sccet-stib,sccet-basq,sccet-notes,
Search within this database
Sino-Tibetan etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *nǝk ( ~ -a-)
Meaning: black, dark
Tibetan: nag, gnag black, nog very dark, deep-black.
Burmese: nak be dark, LB *nak.
Kachin: (H) git-na black mould (git).
Lushai: KC *nak (?).
Comments: Atong -nak; Moshang, Namsangia -nyak; Trung naʔ1. Sh. 38, 430; Ben. 88, 102. Coblin 45 compares OCh. 慝 *snhǝ̄k evil.
stibet-prnum,stibet-meaning,stibet-tib,stibet-burm,stibet-kach,stibet-lush,stibet-comments,
Search within this database
Basque etymology :
Search within this database
Proto-Basque: *urdi-n, *burdina (or *b=urdina)
Meaning: 1 blue 2 gray (haired) 3 turbid, murky (water) 4 mold, mildew 5 dirty 6 fine, satiny (tint) 7 iron
Araban: burnia 7
Bizkaian: urdin 1, 2, 4, 6, burdiña, burriña 7, (arc) burnia, burdĩa 7
Gipuzkoan: urdin 1, 2, burnia 7
High Navarrese: urdin 1, 2, 4, burdiña, burriña 7
Low Navarrese: urdin 1, 2, 4, 5, burdina, burdiña 7
Salazarese: urdin 3, 5, burriña, burña 7
Lapurdian: urdin 1, 2, burdina 7
Baztanese: burdine 7
Aezkoan: burdina 7
Zuberoan: urdin 1, 2, 3, bürdǘña 7
Roncalese: urdin 1, 2, 3, 5, burduña, burruña, burña 7
Comments: The connection of 'blue' and 'iron' is also found in PNC *nHǟƛ̣_wV̆ 'blue; (blue metal) > iron', in this analysis cognate (by metathesis) with the Bsq words here.
basqet-prnum,basqet-meaning,basqet-arb,basqet-bzk,basqet-gip,basqet-anv,basqet-bnv,basqet-sal,basqet-lab,basqet-bzt,basqet-azk,basqet-zbr,basqet-rnc,basqet-comments,
Search within this database
Long-range etymologies :
Search within this database
Borean (approx.) : NVLV
Meaning : black, dark
Eurasiatic : Drav. *nal- 'black'
Notes : Cf. *ƛVŋV?
globet-meaning,globet-nostr,globet-scc,globet-notes,
Search within this database
Select another database
Change viewing parameters
Total pages generated | Pages generated by this script | 1300621 | 2984491 |
| Help
|
StarLing database server | Powered by | CGI scripts | Copyright 1998-2003 by S. Starostin | ![](/images/harbour-button.gif) | Copyright 1998-2003 by G. Bronnikov Copyright 2005-2014 by Phil Krylov |
|