föstudagur, febrúar 15, 2008

*lewbh-

PIE *lewbh -

Lithuanian liaupsẽ̇, 'praising'
Albanian laps, 'wish, want'

Old Church Slavonic l'ubu, 'dear, beloved'

Gothic liufs, 'dear'
Old High German liob, 'dear'
Old Icelandic ljúfr, 'dear'
Old English lēof, 'dear'

Latin libet, 'is beloved'

Sanskrit lúbhyati, 'feels a strong desire'

Hesychius' Lexicon (5th C.) gives us the Greek word lyptá: 'concubine, prostitute.' There is no relation to the casual Roman word lupa, 'whore,' which literally means 'she-wolf.' The modern descendants are in Spanish loba, Italian lupa, and French louve. That last one is also confusing, or perhaps for some, evocative, but Proto-Germanic *lubo and OCS l'ubu have nothing to with any Spanish lobo. However the Roman lupa and the Greek lyptá disported themselves, love and wolves shared no common PIE ground.

Perhaps I am looking in the wrong place. If I shut my eyes, cock my head, prick up my ears, I might hear them outside singing liaupsẽ̇, songs of praise, uncer giedd geador.

1 ummæli:

tristan sagði...

lovely ! x

 
Hvaðan þið eruð