Basque <ibili>

[Eduard Selleslagh]

[ moderator re-formatted ]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Trask" <larryt at cogs.susx.ac.uk>
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2000 5:25 PM

> Ed Selleslagh writes:

> [on Basque *<bil> 'round']

>> What about *gorda-bil, where the first element could be a Romance loan (<
>> corde, cuerda), i.e. coiled up rope?

> Interesting, but I don't know this word, and I can't find it in any of my
> dictionaries.  I also note it carries an asterisk for some reason.

> What's the source, please?

[Ed]

It was just a suggestion for a potential etymology. The asterisk was to
indicate that it is a reconstruction (if my guess is right, of course).

The word 'gorda' does not exist, nor can it be found in the historical
documents available. It could have existed as a phonetically adapted (lost)
loan from Romance. We just don't know.

Ed.