Word for "dog" etc.

[Isidore Dyen]

The fact that there is an exact match in form and a reasonable hypothesis
to deal with the difference in meaning suggests that the suggestion I
made may have enough to it to warrant keeping it around. At the same time
I feel that I should point out that your treatment of the association of
the Residual Vitiaz cognate set to *kusupeq, now *kusupe has kinks in it.
No doubt you have a way of improving it which would be welcome. Your
formula (Dissertation p. 84) callss for the lenis reflex of *-s- in
Lukep to be zero unless the reflex is final, in which case it should be i.
This does not account for the Lukep reflex, or for that matter Kilenge's
or Roinji's. It does best with Malasanga's.
As for the possible semantic relation between 'rat' and 'dog, consider the
relation between Kove kaua 'dog' and Kabadi kaua 'rat'.

On Tue, 1 Feb 2000, Malcolm Ross wrote:

> I don't think Isidore Dyen's mention of Lukep _kuyu_ 'rat' is
> relevant to this discussion, as it is a regular reflex of POc *kusupe
> 'rat' and almost certainly has nothing to do with pre-Rejang *kuyuk.
>
> Malcolm Ross
>
> >Curiously the Lukep (Umboi and Long Islands in the neighborhood of New
> >Britain) language has kuyu 'rat' with some likelihodd that a word for
> >'rat' could be "promoted" to being used for 'dog'. I have no evidence
> >however that Lukep did so. I am not sure that this comment does little
> >more than muddy the waters a bit. Good hunting. ID.
>
>