COMMENTS:Forms with p(h)- (> LAB f-) are secondary, in central dialects, by assimilation or expressive devoicing. Peripheral dialects (BZK, ZBR, RNC) preserve b-. Cf. PEC *bēlǯwi ‘stinging insect’.
COMMENTS:It is difficult to determine the precise local provenience of this word. Azkue cites it as "common" and cites texts by F.I. Lardizabal (Gipuzkoan: 19th c.) and P.A. Axular (Lapurdian: 17th c.). Trask cites a variant solbarda (EDB), with the liquids in reverse order. Other Bsq dialects use various words for 'shoulder', e.g. ZBR suñ, suñhegi (see *śoin), BZK and GIP sorburu ('head of body'), etc. 'shoulder'. The expected Bsq form is *barda, dissimilated in the compound as sor-balda, or differently as sol-barda. *śor- is considered a stem variant of *śoin (q.v.).
COMMENTS:Bsq *barhe is compared only with PEC *bHōr- (~ *wHōr-); the second elements in NCauc and some of the Bsq words appear to be distinct: some of the latter approximate Romance forms (Sp. caracol, Fr. escargot, etc.), others resemble words for ‘crane’ (see *kur̄i-lo); clearly a lot of contamination and blending going on.
COMMENTS:Used in compounds, e.g. bas-urde 'wild boar', bas-asto 'wild ass, onager', etc. As 'woods' baso has mainly died out in eastern Bsq, where *oi=han is used instead (q.v.). Cf. also Basa-jaun 'lord of the woods', Bsq equivalent of sasquatch.
COMMENTS:Cf. PNC *whǝ̆rʒ_ĭ 'edge, tip'. One of several cases in which Bsq *-st- corresponds to PNC tense sibilants: cf. Bsq *esti 'honey, sweet' ~ PEC *mĭʒV 'sweet'.
PROTO:*bat
MEANING:one
BZK:bat
GIP:bat
ANV:bat
BNV:bat
SAL:bat
LAB:bat
BZT:bat
AZK:bat
ZBR:bat
RNC:bat
COMMENTS:Any relation with PNC is dubious: PNC *cHǝ̆ (PWC *za) 'one' is phonetically incompatible with Bsq *bat. Possibly from a word meaning 'part': cf. Dargi Chiragh b=it’a-l ‘part’; Avar but’á ‘part’ (< b=ut’á, < [PNC class prefix] *w/b- + PEC *=ĭṭV ‘to cut, divide’.
COMMENTS:The Bsq word apparently contains a fossilized class prefix or preverb *b= : cf. PY *b[ǝ̄]k- 'to find'. This verb has influenced the form of the word for 'ear' in northeastern Bsq: *be=lar̄i (q.v.) > beharri, etc.
COMMENTS:The segment *beHa- appears to be an old word, perhaps *beHe 'liver': cf. PST *phe ‘spleen’ (Thankur =pǝy ‘liver’, etc.); PY *b[a]jbVl ‘kidney’ could be a similar compound < *b[a]j-pɨʔɨĺ (second element = *pɨʔɨĺ ‘intestines’).
COMMENTS:Initial *be- is not likely to be a fossilized prefix, since *be=/*bi= does not occur with animate beings (human or animal). Perhaps a dissimilated reduplication (*fefor > *befor, or the like)?
COMMENTS:Trask (1995) suggests derivation from late Latin beccu 'beak, bill', though there is no deeper history of this word in Latin, and it may be a borrowing from Vasconic.
COMMENTS:Azkue cites (ANV, BZK, BNV, GIP, LAB, ZBR) bela 'raven', though Mitxelena (1961, p. 128) cites (BZK) bela as opposed to bele in other dialects.
COMMENTS:The semantic variations are extensive, but cf. PNC *wēnʎ_wē 'luck, good', where, e.g., 'luck' may be related to Basque 'critical moment, power', and 'good' to Basque 'meek, docile, sensible'.
