Non-IE words in Early Gmc.

[Theo Vennemann]

>Hello Carol,

>Did anyone ever privately reply to your question about the 30% non-
>Indo-European words in Early German?  If you have come across the list of
>these non-I.E. words since you posted your question, do you entertain any
>theory as to where these words may have came from? Do you think they might be
>Fenno-Ugric, since these groups were nearby the ancient Germans?  Who else
>could it be?  Thanks.

>Best regards,
>David O'Keefe

I know of no such list. But the repeated observation has intruiged me
sufficiently to give it some thought. For those who share this interest,
here are some references, in part with etymologies for some of those non-IE
words:

-- "Bemerkung zum frühgermanischen Wortschatz", in Fs. Matzel, Heidelberg
1984, 105-119.
-- "Etymologische Beziehungen im Alten Europa", Der GinkgoBaum:
Germanistisches Jahrbuch für Nordeuropa 13 (1995), 39-115.
-- "Some West Indo-European words of uncertain origin", in: Fs. Fisiak,
Berlin 1997, I.879-908.
-- "Germania Semitica: *ploog-/*pleg-, *furh-/*farh-, *folk-/*flokk-,
*felh-/*folg-", in: Fs. Eroms, Heidelberg 1998, 245-261.
-- "Andromeda and the Apples of the Hesperides", in: Karlene Jones-Bleyet
al. (eds.), Proceedings of the Ninth Annual UCLA Indo-European Conference
(Journal of Indo-European Studies Monograph Series, 28), Washington, D.C.
1998, 1-68.
-- "Germania Semitica: Biene und Imme: Mit einem Anhang zu lat. apis",
Sprachwissenschaft 23 (1998), 471-487.
You may also want to look at the following etymological studies:
-- "Zur Etymologie von Éire, dem Namen Irlands", Sprachwissenschaft 23
(1998), 461-469.
-- "Remarks on some British place names", in: Fs. Irmengard Rauch, New York
1999, 25-62.

Best regards,
Theo Vennemann.
26 January 1999