Phrygian language: Encyclopedia II - Phrygian language - Vocabulary

Phrygian language - Vocabulary

A sizable body of Phrygian words are theoretically known; however, the meaning and etymologies and even correct forms of many Phrygian words (mostly extracted from inscriptions) are still being debated.

A famous Phrygian word is bekos, meaning "bread". According to Herodotus (Histories 2.9) Pharaoh Psammetichus I wanted to establish the original language. For this purpose, he ordered two children to be reared by a shepherd, forbidding him to let them hear a single word, and charging him to report the children's first utterance. After two years, the shepherd reported that on entering their chamber, the children came up to him, extending their hands, calling bekos. Upon enquiry, the pharaoh discovered that this was the Phrygian word for "wheat bread", after which the Egyptians conceded that the Phrygian nation was older than theirs. The word bekos is also attested several times in Palaeo-Phrygian inscriptions on funerary stelae. It was suggested that it is cognate to English bake, from PIE *bheh₃g (Greek phōgō "to roast").

Bedu according to Clement of Alexandria's Stromata, quoting one Neanthus of Cyzicus means "water" (PIE *wed). The Macedonians are said to have worshipped a god called Bedu, which they interpreted as "air". The god appears also in Orphic ritual.

Other Phrygian words include:

• anar, 'husband', from PIE *ner-, 'man', cognate to Ancient Greek aner (man, husband).
• attagos, 'goat'.
• balaios, 'large, fast'.
• belte, 'swamp', from PIE *bhel-, 'to gleam', cognate to Albanian baltë (silt, mud).
• brater, 'brother', from PIE *bhrater-, 'brother', cognate to Ancient Greek phrater (clansman, kin).
• daket, 'does, causes', PIE *dhe-k-, 'to set, put', cognate to Latin facere (to do, make).
• germe, 'warm', PIE *ghwer-, 'warm'; Ancient Greek thermos.
• kakon, 'harm, ill', PIE *kaka-, 'to defecate', cognate to Ancient Greek kakôn (evil, ill).
• knoumane, 'grave', maybe from PIE *knu-, 'to scratch', cognate to Ancient Greek knaô, 'to scratch' (English 'grave' is from PIE *grebh, which meant 'to dig, scratch').
• manka, 'stela'.
• mater, 'mother', PIE *mater-, 'mother'.
• meka, 'great', PIE *meg-, 'great'; Ancient Greek megas, 'great'.
• zamelon, 'slave', PIE *dhghom-, 'earth'; Ancient Greek chamelos, 'on the ground, lowly'.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Vocabulary", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki