re PIE words for sexual organs

Gordon Selway gordonselway at gn.apc.org
Mon Jan 24 14:11:50 UTC 2000


Some additional information:

a) I'm not clear why telling us that 'balls' (sensu, testes) is 'rather
transparently derived from the English word for "round object"' helps.  Why
should the derivation be that way round (except that it is more verbal than
the visual image of a factory chimney being rapidly run up, then as quickly
demolished, as I think in a sketch on BBC's celebrated "TW3" almost 40
years ago?  An association made in 1200 BCE (or much earlier) is as likely
as one made in 1200 CE (or more recently);

b) the English 'bollocks', iirc, was earlier 'ballocks' (as passim in the
verse of the Earl of Rochester, tempore Caroli secundi);

c) Dennis King tells me that mod Ir Gaelic 'peil' ('peile' was my
recollection of the spelling: it may be an alternative) probably comes from
Latin 'pila', and confirms that he has no knowledge of any 'palla' at any
stage in any form of Gaelic;

d) Ga. 'ball' also means 'ball, globe' anglice - and 'ball-iomair'
(ball-contest; Sc.) may also be used for 'football'.

Gordon Selway
<gordonselway at gn.apc.org>



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