Fallow Deer/A Closer Look

[Rich Alderson]

NB:  In the following, I transcribe <omega> as <O:> and <eta> as <E:>.

On 6 June 2001, Steve Long wrote:

> In a message dated 6/4/2001 2:30:01 AM, edsel at glo.be writes:

>>> Damate:r - Dor., Arc., Thess. and Boeot. form of goddess Demeter

>> [Ed Selleslagh]

>> Don't exaggerate: isn't that 'god(dess)-mother'? (Cf. Jupiter: 'god-father')

Actually, Ed, it's "sky-father", from *dyu:-, a variant of *dye:w- "(bright)
sky"; cf. _Zeu pater_, vocative epithet of Zeus, and Skt. _dyauh. pita:r_.  The
first element in the name of the harvest goddess is, I think, unrelated.

> Or Demeter, the goddess of domestication?  Sometimes I suppose the chicken
> comes first.  Sometimes the egg.  But in the context of all those other
> words, and with an open-mind, the possibilities do expand.

Steve has misled himself with his transcriptions.  The name of the goddess is
_dE:mE:tE:r_, Doric et al. _da:ma:tE:r_, Aeolic _dO:ma:tE:r_, not comparable to
_domos_, _demO:_ "I build", etc., nor to _dama:r, damartos_.  Quantities are
vitally important.

								Rich Alderson