Comments:Trask (1995) mentions a possible relationship with erron, errun 'lay eggs'. Mitxelena (M 96) cites the Alavan Spanish loanword arronzobi, ronzapil, ranchopil 'torta con huevos'.
Comments:This word occurs in many compounds, e.g. burt-ardatz 'axle of a wagon', ehun-ardatz 'spindle of a spinning wheel', etc. Cf. PNC *ʕănƛ̣V '(part of a) spindle'. The suffix -atz seems to be the same as *hace ‘back part’ (q.v.).
Comments:As Trask (1995) mentions, borrowing from IE *arg- 'shine, bright' has been suspected, "but no direct source for the loan (if it is one) can be identified." Compounds with *hiɫa- and *sagi (q.v.).
Comments:Also in haplologic compounds (c) garagardo ‘beer’ (*garagar̄ ‘barley’ + *ardano), sagardo ‘cider’ (*śagar̄ ‘apple’ + *ardano), etc. Bsq *(ar-) dano is tentatively matched with PNC *ʒ́w[ǝ̆]nʔi 'wine, honey'. The phonetic match of PNC *ʒ́ = Bsq *d is unique, and Bsq *ar= seems to be a rare class prefix (cf. *ar=han ‘plum’), or an obscure compounded element. It is interesting that the older PNC reconstruction *ðwǝ̄nʡi ‘wine’ (1991) is closer to the Bsq form than the revised reconstruction *ʒ́w[ǝ̆]nʔi (1994). Possibly PNC *ʒ́ in this case was derived from a palatalized dental stop such as /dy/?
Proto-Basque:*arśto
Meaning:ass, donkey
Bizkaian:asto
Gipuzkoan:asto
High Navarrese:asto
Low Navarrese:asto
Salazarese:asto
Lapurdian:asto
Baztanese:asto
Aezkoan:asto
Zuberoan:ásto (arc. arsto)
Roncalese:arsto, asto
Comments:Cf. PWC *čǝdǝ 'donkey'; Bur *ćhardV́ 'stallion'. Uhlenbeck (1924), Trombetti (1925), and Chirikba (1985) compared Bsq + WC. Problematic because the domestic ass is quite recent (ca. 5000 yrs.), and it is uncertain whether these resemblances represent genetic inheritance or loanwords.
Comments:Azkue: "Antes que se importara de ultramar este cereal, debió de usarse la palabra ARTO para designar el mijo, que hoy decimos 'maíz pequeño' ... Cf. PNC *Ł_ǝdwi / *Ł_ǝŁǝdwi 'corn'.
Comments:Trask (1997) suggests that these words are derived from the "curious verb ase 'to be satiated, be satisfied'": see *aśe.
Proto-Basque:*aśtigar̄
Meaning:maple (tree)
Bizkaian:astigar, (Ermua) azkar
Gipuzkoan:astigar, aztigar
High Navarrese:astigar
Low Navarrese:astigar, gastigar, gaztigar
Salazarese:gaztigar, txastegiar
Lapurdian:gastigar, gaztigar
Zuberoan:astigar, axtígar
Roncalese:astigar, gaztigar
Comments:Cf. Proto-Nakh *stagar 'maple' (Acer platanoides), Hurrian tas:kar- 'box tree'. The Bsq forms with initial g- are contaminated with *gastaina 'chestnut tree' (< Latin). An especially distorted form, with expressive prefix *č-, is SAL txastegiar 'maple tree'.
Comments:The forms with /ć/ (autsiki, utsiki, utsigi) are mentioned by Michelena (1961: 286), without a definite cause (a kind of expressive intensification?).
Comments:An isolated, but apparently archaic, Bizkaian word, to judge from cognates in Burushaski (*bić 'cold, chill') and Yeniseian (*beʔč 'snow [falling in flakes]').
Comments:It is hypothesized here that the Bsq word is composed of a fossilized class prefix *b= + the PSC root *=íxwV 'to sift': Cf. PNC *=if_V 'to sift' > Tsakh. wex:ʷa 'sieve'. Bouda (1948) compared Bsq bahe + Tsakhur weχ:a (sic.). For phonology cf. Bsq *bahi = PNC *(w)=HirfV-.
