erek-1 (er(e)gh-)

    erek-1 (er[e]gh-)

    English meaning: louse, tick

    Deutsche Übersetzung: “Laus, Milbe”

    Note: often distorted taboo

    Material: O.Ind. likṣǘ “nit, louse” common O.Ind. ĝh- > kṣ- phonetic mutation (probably from *lakṣǘ through influence of likháti “ scarifies “); Lat. ricinus 1. “ itself in the skin of sheep, dogs or cattle annoying vermin, tick “ (doubtful is the affiliation from 2. “ a shrub kind, castor bean, ricinus “) could go back to older *recinos and be shared with Lith. érkė “tick, sheep louse” (*erki̯ü), Ltv. ẽrce “ cow’s mite, wicked, evil person” under IE *erek-. Furthermore it is to be compared Arm. o(r)jil “nit, louse” (here seems to be a root variant er(e)gh-, as also in the consecutive Alb. form) and ork”iun “ringworm, itching, erysipelas” (from *orqii̯ōno- (?) with a-no-suffix as in Lat. after Petersson KZ. 47, 263 f.), Alb. ergjiz ‘small louse” (see G. Meyer Alb.Wb. 96; doubt by Hermann KZ. 41, 48; however, the irregular guttural in Armen. and AlbO.N. could be based on taboo distortion).

    References: WP. I 145, II 344.