Yew Two

[X99Lynx at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/5/2001 2:55:01 AM, acnasvers at hotmail.com writes:
<< Celtic has preserved pre-IE *ebur- 'yew' rather extensively in toponyms,
ethnonyms, and personal names, and also Irish <ibhar> 'yew; bow' beside <eo>
'yew'. The stem *ebur- also appears in toponyms in Iberia, Liguria,
Campania, and probably Greece (Ephura:, old name of Corinth and other
places). In my opinion *ebur- belongs with the Old European substrate
associated with the expansion of Neolithic farmers across Europe (ca.
5500-4000 BCE). If you believe, like Renfrew, that these farmers (who
entered Europe from Anatolia) spoke PIE, then you must explain why "IE"
*ebur- should have been superseded by *eiw- in the north...>>

Because I suspect that words like Irish <iubhar>, Gaelic <iubhar>, Old Irish
<ibar> were words that could have developed as trade words, I don't think
there's any need need to explain an "IE" *ebur- at all.

The Romans, of course, knew ivory as <ebur, eboris>.  But they also called
ivory a "horn" <cornu> and words for ivory itself have been applied to the
boar and other tusks and horns of various kinds, as well as whale bone.  (See
Germanic <ebar>, <eber>, <ibor>, <epur>, <i:for> boar; Lat <aper> boar.) It
was common for horn and antler to be interchangeable with wood in a large
number of ancient European carved and turned objects.  We know that horn,
antler and ivory were often used in the making of bows (Homer only describes
bows made of horn or antler.) It's hard to trace but "ivory wood" is an old
term, and "white", "pink", "red" and "black ivory wood" (a kind of ebony)
have been available for some time to the woodworking trade.  "Eber-" is a
common name applied to, among others, the "service tree" (sorbus) and to the
rowan or mountain ash - a red-berry bearing tree that makes excellent bow
wood.  The Romans used "iberis" and similar terms to refer to various plants,
including perhaps the pepperwort.  (E.g, Pliny calls <ibe:ris>, "a kind of
cress." Cf., vibo, vibo:nis, m., the flower of the herb called "Britannica,"-
Pliny.) Hesychlus mentions both plants and animals with <iber-> names , and
attributes the name "Iberes" to an unidentified animal, <iber>.  Cf., "gravis
imber et uber", Latin, <uber> referring to copious-growing plants and
presumably trees and trade wood.

So, it seems reasonable to think that "ebor"-words may not be quite so
specific to the yew and may not be quite so "Old European" (if such a thing
existed) but relates in some way to better quality trade wood and horn
working materials and the places where they were traded from or to.  E.g.,
"ibhar" referring to ivory producing elephants in Sanskrit, far from "Old
European" haunts.

Another possibility which I like is that Irish <iubhar>, Gaelic <iubhar>
simply are reflections of the early or later Greek influences among
Celtic-speakers.  The Greek influence on Celtic has often been overlooked,
despite the major archaeological evidence of Greek trade routes deep into
France and Spain for centuries before 400BC.  And the obvious influence of
learned Greek in both pagan and Christian times.  (E.g., Caesar's observation
that the druids wrote in Greek "literi.")

One important and early word for "arrow" in Greek was <ios> (accus., <ion>.)
One important and early word for 'poison" in Greek was <ios.>  The connection
may have been animals with fangs or that shot venom.  The word seems a bit
transparent, <ion> being a participle for <eimi> (L&S- <"ibo"?), with the
sense of "pass through".  (E.g., "[pelekus] eisin dia douros" (the axe goes
through the beam) Iliad 3:61.)

(<ios> also can refer to a variety of plants and unpredictable colors, but
that's another yew tale.)

The joint meaning is seen in words like <iobolos>, "shooting arrows" or
"shedding venom, venomous."  Or <iodokos> "holding arrows" (in Homer) or
"containing venom, fangs."  And the attested <iotokos, iotokon>, interpreted
as "poison-bearing" is interesting in that it suggests perhaps an early
connection for the "toxon" word for bow - "poison/arrow-bearing."  See also
<iocheaira> "arrow-pourer, shooter of arrows" epithet of Artemis.

Also interesting is the use of <-phoros>, carrying, bearing, in connection
with <ios>.  Well-attested is <xiphe:phoros> "sword-carrying, sword in hand,
swordsman."  And while <iophoros> is interpreted as "poison bearing" where
attested, it obviously can follow the split meaning given above and also mean
"arrow bearing" or sending or bringing.  I.e., a bow or a wood from which
arrows are made.

Of course, Gr <iophoros> as a borrowed word into Celtic may possibly have
ended up as Irish <iubhar> and Gaelic <iubhar>.  (See, e.g., Gaelic
<leabhar>,a book; Welsh <llyfr>; from Latin <liber>; <io> and <iu> being
somewhat interchangeable, compare Gaelic <iollagach> with <iullagach>, both
meaning frolicsome.)  See also Gaelic <uthaidh,
i:thaidh>, arrow; <coiliobhar>, a kind of gun; <ionntraich>, miss.  Cf.,
Gaelic <giuthas>, Early Irish <gius>, fir or similar wood.) All thios might
suggest a connection that conforms better perhaps to what we know about the
use of trade names for materials in ancient times.

It should be noted that references to Celtic archers are rare and most found
truly ancient bows are not yew.  The yew comes in Britain into prominence
with the Welsh longbow and most of the wood for those bows in the middle ages
were imported as a matter of royal policy from Spain and the Levant (for one
thing the wood was considered better), ballast on ships carrying Greek and
Italian wine.  We have some clues that a vigorous trade in horn, bow wood and
even ivory-type materials was carried on long before those times.

<...Ephura:, old name of Corinth and other places...>

I would suspect those place names may be connected to their character as
market places and ports.  See Gr <phoros>, levy, tax, tribute; <ephormizo:>,
anchor, harbor; <ekphora>, exportable; <ephoros>, overseer, collector,
guardian and, in Sparta, the officers of a corporation.

Regards,
Steve Long