Maybe they messed with the word, like with bear. Seems like a word you might mess with. Remove the H? Nah. I think it's the poured one. I think they were into oils. Pouring oils as they invoked the gods. Like a christ is a smeared one.
How do we know this isn't *ǵʰū-tóm? My thinking is, and please correct me, the presence of an unidentifiable *H means it's never present next to *e, so I have to assume its only effect is in lengthening a vowel (including *i and *u), so how do we know it's *V̆H and not *V̄?
> By long vowels, I mean a set of vowels which are held for longer than their corresponding short vowels. Modern English doesn’t really have these, but older forms of English did.
Though many non-rhotic dialects have introduced new length distinctions! Southern England has a difference between /bɪd bɛd/ "bid, bed" and /bɪːd bɛːd/ "beard, bared".
Because there are few cases where long vowels (especially long *ū) need to be reconstructed as existing in PIE independent of any laryngeals, the methodological approach often taken is to reconstruct laryngeals to explain long vowels in most places where they occur, even when there isn’t direct (e.g., Anatolian) evidence for them. In the case of *ghewH-, however, we also have the ablaut series (e.g. forms which imply PIE *ǵhew-), which shows us that the -u- in the *ǵhūtóm is the result of vocalizing the -w- preceding a laryngeal, rather than as an independent long vowel.
I think God as One Who Pours Out is a very reasonable core meaning. Seriously: why would a person invoke God? To pour out, either blessings or punishment. To pour out rain. to pour out life itself. To wash out one's enemies.
"Pouring out" is central to the Old Testament prophet Elijah.
* "Pouring out" was central to the decisive battle over Ba'al's priests. First Elijah poured out water on his offering. Then God rained down fire and accepted that offering.
* The widow poured out the last of her olive oil for Elijah; and in so doing, had an unending supply of olive oil pouring out of her vessel.
* God poured down rain, as a sign.
* Elijah wanted to see God: so God poured out all manner of natural phenomena. But Elijah knew that God was in what He held in reserve. It was a still, small voice where God appeared. (This is the second "pouring out" story of Elijah where God, YHWH, does something different than what was expected of gods).
* And finally, Elijah was taken up to heaven and a double portion of his spirit was poured onto his disciple Elisha.
What about the Romance version of God, i.e., dieu, dios, etc.?That seems unrelated to either of the two PIE etymologies you suggest but seems to serve the same function as God or god(s).
Latin deus, which is the source of all these Romance words, is from an old root meaning ‘sky.’ The same root also gives us names for particular sky gods, such as Zeus.
Wow, Beekes searches for substrate everywhere, huh? He's famous for his Greek etymological dictionary throwing out dozens of words to "Pre-Greek".
I know, I laughed when I saw his name come up in connection with this!
>"The story of the discovery of laryngeals in Proto-Indo-European is actually a ripping good yarn"
Definitely an example of the assertion that most sentences that people utter are unique :) :)
Maybe they messed with the word, like with bear. Seems like a word you might mess with. Remove the H? Nah. I think it's the poured one. I think they were into oils. Pouring oils as they invoked the gods. Like a christ is a smeared one.
> *ǵʰuH-tóm
How do we know this isn't *ǵʰū-tóm? My thinking is, and please correct me, the presence of an unidentifiable *H means it's never present next to *e, so I have to assume its only effect is in lengthening a vowel (including *i and *u), so how do we know it's *V̆H and not *V̄?
> By long vowels, I mean a set of vowels which are held for longer than their corresponding short vowels. Modern English doesn’t really have these, but older forms of English did.
Though many non-rhotic dialects have introduced new length distinctions! Southern England has a difference between /bɪd bɛd/ "bid, bed" and /bɪːd bɛːd/ "beard, bared".
Because there are few cases where long vowels (especially long *ū) need to be reconstructed as existing in PIE independent of any laryngeals, the methodological approach often taken is to reconstruct laryngeals to explain long vowels in most places where they occur, even when there isn’t direct (e.g., Anatolian) evidence for them. In the case of *ghewH-, however, we also have the ablaut series (e.g. forms which imply PIE *ǵhew-), which shows us that the -u- in the *ǵhūtóm is the result of vocalizing the -w- preceding a laryngeal, rather than as an independent long vowel.
Re: long vowels in English, ditto Australian!
The free column is much appreciated!
I think God as One Who Pours Out is a very reasonable core meaning. Seriously: why would a person invoke God? To pour out, either blessings or punishment. To pour out rain. to pour out life itself. To wash out one's enemies.
"Pouring out" is central to the Old Testament prophet Elijah.
* "Pouring out" was central to the decisive battle over Ba'al's priests. First Elijah poured out water on his offering. Then God rained down fire and accepted that offering.
* The widow poured out the last of her olive oil for Elijah; and in so doing, had an unending supply of olive oil pouring out of her vessel.
* God poured down rain, as a sign.
* Elijah wanted to see God: so God poured out all manner of natural phenomena. But Elijah knew that God was in what He held in reserve. It was a still, small voice where God appeared. (This is the second "pouring out" story of Elijah where God, YHWH, does something different than what was expected of gods).
* And finally, Elijah was taken up to heaven and a double portion of his spirit was poured onto his disciple Elisha.
What about the Romance version of God, i.e., dieu, dios, etc.?That seems unrelated to either of the two PIE etymologies you suggest but seems to serve the same function as God or god(s).
Latin deus, which is the source of all these Romance words, is from an old root meaning ‘sky.’ The same root also gives us names for particular sky gods, such as Zeus.
Also the same root as the word "day"! One of the more productive roots, and oh so shiny :D