Arabic-L:LING:Needs Etymology of the term "Cuscuta"

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Mon 19 Jan  2004
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:Needs Etymology of the term "Cuscuta"

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1)
Date: 19 Jan 2004
From:David Mehall <mehalld at georgetown.edu>
Subject:Needs Etymology of the term "Cuscuta"

A Canadian doctor (mcostea at uoguelph.ca) is trying to establish the  
etymology of the name “Cuscuta”, which is a genus with about 150  
species of parasitic plants that look like an entangled mass of  
yellow-orange threads that spread and cover other plants.

Some say that the name has Arabic roots. Do you recognize any of these  
words (or something close to them): kushkut; kuskut? Do they mean  
anything? Any comment would be helpful.

David Mehall

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End of Arabic-L:  19 Jan  2004