LL-L 'Mythology' 2006.09.29 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

L O W L A N D S - L * 29 September 2006 * Volume 03
======================================================================

From: Paul Finlow-Bates [wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk]
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.09.28 (02) [D/E]

    From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
    Subject: Etymology

    >...a Sanskrit "Vatna", Wind-Lord

    Interesting! That would have to be *वात्न *_Vātna_. The base would be वात _vāta_
    'wind'. Is there supposed to be or have been such a god in India? I am not
    aware of one..

    Regards,
    Reinhard/Ron

Ron,
It's while since I read Branston, and I don't have copy at the moment.  As I
recall, he was deducing the existence of such an IE god, rather than comparing
with an existing one.
 
Part of Branston's argument was that Old English versions of Germanic gods were
much less "human" and more "elemental" than the Norse versions we are more
familiar with through Snorri. To a large degree, Thunor *was* thunder, Woden
*was* wind.  He suggests that this is an older state of affairs, but it also made
these gods a lot harder to identify with for most people, and this may account
for the rapid conversion of the English to Christianity compared with the
Scandinavians.
 
Paul

==============================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
======================================================================