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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>John, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The OED shows no connection between the verb/action
"swallow" and the bird "swallow" in English. Both words go
back to Old English, when the bird was "swealwe", "swalwe,"
"swalu," etc; the verb was "swelghan", "swilhdh",
"swealgh", etc. (with many more forms in the various conjugations,
notably the ppl. "forswoleghed"), and the related noun (now meaning
"a gulp" but originally meaning "a pit") was
"swelh" and variations. Note the different vowels in the first
syllable, which (not knowing an iota about Old English) I must assume is
relevent to concluding that these clouds of words are different. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The OED helpfully notes: </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> "The
encroachment of the <i>o</i> of the pa. pple. and the <i>a</i> of the pa. tense
upon the pres. stem is evidenced from the 12th and 13th centuries respectively;
it was perhaps furthered by association with SWALLOW n.1 [=the bird]."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
nahuatl-bounces@lists.famsi.org [mailto:nahuatl-bounces@lists.famsi.org] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>John Sullivan, Ph.D.<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 11, 2007 3:45 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> nahuatl@lists.famsi.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nahuat-l] Why is a swallow called a swallow?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Bien Listeros,<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-tab-span> </span>That's the
question I have: Why is a swallow (the bird) called a swallow? <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-tab-span> </span>In Classical
Nahuatl, "swallow" is "cui:cui:tzcatl". The plural form,
given by Fran, is "cui:cui:tzcanih", suggesting a verbal origin for
the word. I would say either "cui:cui:tzihui" or
"cui:cui:tzoa", because their preterite forms,
"cui:cui:tziuh" and "cui:cui:tzoh" would have the
option of shortening to "cui:cui:tz" when combining with something
else, such as the preterite agentive "-qui/-ca-". <o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-tab-span> </span>The reason is
wrote this mail is that there is a verb in Huastecan Nahuatl, "cui:tzoa,
nimo" which means "to have something stuck in your throat".
There is a related verb "cui:tzihui", which is only used with
"tlan(tli)", "tooth". "tlancui:tzihui, ni.",
means "the bare or show your teeth". <o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-tab-span> </span>So anyway, why
is a swallow called a swallow?<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>John<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>John Sullivan, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Profesor de lengua y cultura
nahua<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Universidad Autónoma de
Zacatecas<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Instituto de Docencia e
Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas, A.C.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Tacuba 152, int. 47<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Centro Histórico<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Zacatecas, Zac. 98000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>México<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Oficina: +52 (492) 925-3415<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Fax: +52 (492) 925-3416<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Domicilio: +52 (492) 768-6048<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Celular: +52 (492) 118-0854<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><a href="mailto:idiez@mac.com">idiez@mac.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>www.idiez.org.mx<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>www.macehualli.org<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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