Etruscans

[Douglas G Kilday]

Patrick C. Ryan (14 May 2001) wrote:

>I have heard the idea that *wei-no- is not native IE but it has always puzzled
>me to know why this view is held.

>To my way of thinking, it obviously means simply 'vine'.

The difficulty in reconstructing PIE *wei-no- is the monophthong (presumed
long) in Umbrian <vinu>, Faliscan <vino>. These languages retain -ei- in
other words. If they borrowed "wine" from Latin, it is very likely that they
did so before the 2nd cent. BCE, when -ei- became -i:- in Latin. Therefore,
the resemblance between <vi:num> and <vi:tis>, <vi:men> (from PIE *wei- 'to
turn, twist, plait') should be regarded as fortuitous.

The other reflexes given are Gk. <woinos>, Arm. <gini>, Heb. <yayin>, Arab.
<wayn>, Geez <wain>. The source was presumably in the eastern Mediterranean.
I do _not_ refer this to "Pelasgian", due to the -oi- in the Greek form.

DGK