Kephalé / Galva ?

Original Lautstand (IF Really a Branching Out from a Proto-Language) - Alternative Hypothesis, Mainly a Monologue · Kephalé / Galva ? · Discussion of Celtic Inis (Welsh Ynys) with Latin Insula, perhaps Greek Nesos

Hans-Georg Lundahl

I was looking at a few roots (wiktionary) where the velar is neither labialised nor palatalised.

*gal- naked Gm. kalo/kahl, OCS glava, Russ. голый (golyj), Lith. galva, Ltv. galva, Polish goły, Old Prussian gallū, Eng. calu/callow

Note that glava and galva mean head.

κεφαλή

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰebʰ-l-.

That would be this root:

*gʰh₁bʰ- to take Skr. गभस्ति (gabhasti), Alb. grabit/grabis, Lat. habēre, Oscan hafíar, Umbrian habe, Ir. gaibid, Welsh gafael, Lith. gabenti; gabana, Ltv. gabana, Gaul. gabi, OCS gobino

I propose that "galva" and "glava" would be cognates of Macedonian *gebale or *gabala (confer Bilippos = Philippos).

Gabala > Gabla > Gavla > Galva (Lithuanian) > Glava (OCS)

That would be at least some more unity of words for head than otherwise in IE. Note that "head" and "hand" are two of the concepts lacking common words, wereas "father" can be considered a close to common word, despite exceptions.

Andrew Jarrette

The of galva and glava is from PIE *w (cf. English callow). It never arises from *bh or vice versa. So galva and glava cannot be cognates of Macedonian *gebale or *gabala. Also PIE *gh in *ghebh-/ *ghH1bh- while PIE *g in *gal-. Germanic *gebaną "give" is held by some to be from the *ghebh- root (if its root vowel was *e) with a different grade of vowel and a different semantic evolution from the other IE languages with reflexes of this root (though all having to do with motion or state of the hand).

Hans-Georg Lundahl

As far as I know:

• bh and b coincide in Balto-Slavic
• they usually become b, but in some cases v, like after vowels.

The rest of your answer presumes that BECAUSE there is at present a certain doctrine about how the original sounds were and how these developed, THEREFORE this doctrine is absolute truth.

As for callow, calvus - these have other meanings than galva, glava. Kephalé has same meaning.

So, if there is any chance of galva and glava being related to kephalé via NIE treatment of (present reconstruction) *gh and *bh, I find it better to favour that chance.

If you want to argue why v would always be from *w, do.

Andrew Jarrette

One thing I presumed from the OP is that Germanic *kalw- is a native Germanic word cognate to galva and glava, because in the OP it is listed as cognate to them. In fact it may just be a borrowing from Latin calvus, which, according to the most widely believed doctrine, cannot be related to galva and glava because it has a c- rather than a g-. As to its meaning, "callow" in English originally meant "bald" (thus the connection to "head"), only later did it mean "lacking feathers" and then "young, inexperienced". In any case you are the one who linked English "callow" to galva and glava in the OP.

My answer presumes that what I've read in historical linguistics is true, yes, but I find there is a great deal of agreement among scholars about the features I've mentioned.

I've never heard of IE b or bh becoming v in Balto-Slavic. Maybe you could provide some unambiguous examples.

What is NIE? Non-Indo-European? If some non-Indo-European language borrowed *ghebh- as in kephale and then Balto-Slavic in turn borrowed it from the non-Indo-European language, then yes glava and galva would be cognates of kephale. It's possible, I concede, but 'head' is such a b asic word that I have my doubts that it would be borrowed from non-Indo-European. But certainly possible.

Hans-Georg Lundahl

"One thing I presumed from the OP is that Germanic *kalw- is a native Germanic word cognate to galva and glava, because in the OP it is listed as cognate to them."

I was copying the info from wiktionary, as given, before putting it into doubt....Voir plus

[A comment not expanded while I was copying. The Seymore syndrome. But in it I explained that NIE = North Indo European. Opposite would be SIE, South Indo European. A division cutting across the Centum West (+ extreme East) and Satem East/Central.]

Andrew Jarrette

Sorry, I guess I missed or forgot the part of your OP that mentioned that 'head' and 'hand' lack common words in IE. I also missed or forgot that your first listing of cognates from IE gal- was taken from Wiktionary, not provided by you. So I'm sorry about those things.

But I still have never heard of PIE *bh becoming v anywhere in Balto-Slavic, you'd have to provide examples.

The fact that 'head' is represented by a variety of unconnected words throughout IE does lend more support to your idea that it might be borrowed from Macedonian. Maybe IE linguists with more knowledge than I will respond to this post and weigh in on the matter.

Hans-Georg Lundahl

"But I still have never heard of PIE *bh becoming v anywhere in Balto-Slavic, you'd have to provide examples."

kephalé being related would be my best example

"The fact that 'head' is represented by a variety of unconnected words throughout IE does lend more support to your idea that it might be borrowed from Macedonian."

I never said "borrowed from" Macedonian. I said that the Macedonian form has a NIE (North Indo-European) consonantism, and would have, for kephalé/kaphalà something like *gebale or more likely *gabala.

And so would ANY NIE lang at start sharing the kephalé gloss.

That was my point about Baltoslavic being, like Macedonian, NIE.

Andrew Jarrette

Oh OK sorry. My only objection to your theory is the *bh > v in Balto-Slavic part. I have never come across that anywhere in my readings of IE linguistics. Of course I haven't read everything but I've read a fair deal, and that sound change has never been mentioned AFAIK.

Hans-Georg Lundahl

Well, either I recall Brugmann wrong or theories changed since his day and you are better updated.

My own p o v does not depend on full correctness of these theories.