perkʷu-s

    perkʷu-s

    English meaning: oak

    Deutsche Übersetzung: “Eiche”

    Note: Because of the common Lat., Gk., Illyr., celt. kʷ- > p-, gʷ- > b- phonetic mutations, Lat. quercus f. “oak” is the oldest IE cognate, hence Root perkʷu-s : oak derived from an earlier Root kʷerkʷu-s.

    Material: O.Ind. parkatī- “ sacred Feigenbaum”, nind. pargüi ‘steineiche”; Ven. VN Quarquēni “Eichenmänner” (Lat. Relikt?); Nymphis Percernibus perhaps ligurisch (Vaucluse); Lat. quercus f. “oak”; Ital.-trent. porca “pine” (rät. *porca); Celt. Hercynia silva “das deutsche Withtelgebirge” (from *Perkuniü, older *Perkʷuniü), Welsh perth f. “bush, hedge “ (*kʷerkʷ-t-?); Celt. VN Querquerni (goidel.) in Hispania Tarrac.; from *Perkuniü probably borrowed Gmc. *ferguniō, O.H.G. Fergunna “Erzgebirge”, M.H.G. Virgunt f. “Waldgebirge Westlich Böhmens”, Goth. faírguni n. “mountain range”, O.E. firgen “Waldhöhe”; O.H.G. fereheih, langob. fereha ‘speiseeiche”, O.Ice. fjǫrr m. “tree, man”; ablaut. O.H.G. forha “pine tree”, O.E. furh; O.Ice. fura f. “pine”, fȳri n. “Föhrenwald”; from O.H.G. *forh-is “Föhrenwald”: Ger. Forst; from O.H.G. kien-forha (kien- to O.E. cen “pinewood torch”, ablaut. to O.E. cīnan, above S. 355) wird Ger. Kiefer; doubtful whether after Vendryes RC 44, 313 ff. here also Goth. fairƕus “world”, O.E. feorh, O.H.G. ferah “life”, WestGmc. Alaferhuiae (= *Alaferhwiōs), to O.Ice. fīrür (*firhw-jōR), O.E. fīras pl. “Männer” etc.; O.Lith. perkúnas Donnergott, Lith. perkúnas “thunder”, perkúnija f. “Gewitter”, Ltv. pḕ ̨ rkuô ns “thunder, Donnergott”, O.Pruss. percunis “thunder”; Maybe Alb. përkund ‘shake” : Ltv. pḕ ̨ rkuô ns “thunder, Donnergott” aRuss. Perunъ “Donnergott”, Russ. perún “thunderbolt, lightning” are volksetymol. after Slav. *perō “hit” transfigured; unclear is O.Ind. Parjánya- “ thunderstorm God “ (see above under per-3, perg-). Maybe Alb. pirun “fork (sharp weapon of the sky god)?” corresponding to Eng. fork, [OE forca, force corresp. to OFris. forke, OS furka, OHG furcha (Du. vork, G (dial.) Furke), ON forkr, f. Gmc f. L furca pitchfork, forked stake, whence (O)Fr. fourche, ONFr. fourque (which reinforced the wd in ME).]. Since lightning usually strikes the oak tree, Aryans and Illyrians named the fork, weapon, after the thunder goddess. Also Alb. (*Perunъ) perëndi f. “goddess”, perëndim m. “West, sunset”.

    References: WP. II 42 f., 47 f., WH. II 402 f., Specht KZ. 64, 10 f., 68, 193 ff., Thieme, Untersuchungen zur Wortkunde of Rigveda 71.