PIE words for sexual organs

[Patrick C. Ryan]

Dear Rick and IEists:

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Mc Callister" <rmccalli at sunmuw1.MUW.Edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 4:58 AM

[RC wrote:]
> Is this ultimately based on an expressive/onomatopeic form similar
> to the English expressive pu, pew, Spanish expressive puchi, uuf, puaf,
> Italian expressive puzzi, etc.?
> Are these expressive forms pretty universal?

 [PR wrote previously]
>> *pu:to-s, I think it is relatively certain that its
>> basal meaning is 'source or site of strong fragrance' (as attested by
>> *pu:ti-, 'rot'), a concept broad enough to include both cunnus and podex

[PR]
The slope dividing lexical root from expressive is a slippery one, I admit.

But, perhaps, one test that might be applied to differentiate them is
whether the morpheme is question is capable of compounding.

'Whew!' is a expression of relief. But we do not --- except humorously ---
say *whewness for 'relief'.

Therefore, provisionally, we may probably account 'whew' to expressives.

*pew(H)-, on the other hand, shows derived forms in many languages: e.g.
Egyptian [bw] and [bwt], 'detest, abominate'.

Here, I think we may probably accept *pew(eH)- as a lexical root.

However, an additional factor may be that lexical roots which have a form
that may be interpreted expressively tend to be retained over long periods
of time.

This particular root is very well represented in languages around the world.

Pat

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