The Gothic word for "mother"

[Fredrik]

--- In gothic-l at yahoogroups.com, "joe" <changingmoon at ...> wrote:
>
> I have a question about the Gothic word for "mother", "aithei". The 
> general Indo-European pattern for "mother" is 
> m + vowel +T + vowel +/-r, where T = [t], [d], voiced [th], or 
voicless 
> [th]. This pattern is shown, for example in Latin "mater', and 
> German "Mutter". The Gothic word "aithei" does not conform to the 
> general Indo-European pattern, nor does it conform to the Germanic 
> patter (exemplified by "Mutter"). Could anyone explain this? Did 
the 
> m + vowel + T + vowel +/-r undergo a change to produce "aithei"? 
Was 
> the Gothic word botrrowed from some other language? 
> 
> Thank you.
>

I don't know if I can come up with a splended answer but I'll try ;)

Aithei is not deriven from the same origine as german mutter and 
latin mater.
The gothic correspondence would probably have been *modar. But gothic 
use different a word also for father wich is atta (not deriven from 
the same origin as german vater and latin pater) gothic have the word 
fadar which is from the same origin.

I don't know where aithei comes from but finnish has a similar word 
äiti = mother which is from germanic origin, (perhaps northgermanic)

/Fredrik (frithureiks)

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