Saturday, July 12, 2014

HYPOTHESIS ON 'TSVINTAR'

In Ukrainian 'цвинтар' [tsvintar] is 'cemetery'. If the AR-ending means here the same thing it means in Svan language, then the word should be understood as 'place of tsvint'.

In search for 'tsvint'-root in Kartvelian languages we end up having წვინტლი [tsvintli]. Actually the construction may and should be interpreted as an 'eli'-adjective transformed into a 'li'-noun. Most Kartveli nouns ending with -li in fact are former adjectives ending with -eli.

So, we are left with pure 'tsvint' root, which has left no traces in terms of its direct meaning. But since 'tsvintli' means 'mucus' in Kartvelian, we may assume 'tsvint' is something mucus is derived from or relates to. And this something mucus is derived from is what 'cemetry' was named for.

If the version is correct, then 'tsvintar' (cemetry) is literally 'place of what mucus comes from'. Dead body? Disgusting, but impressive...

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