Talk:ἔαρ

Latin "aser"

The etymology compared this to a Latin word "aser". Neither Lewis and Short nor the Oxford Latin Dictionary are aware of any such word, so I've removed it. However, it is possible that (the first syllable of) sanguis is related to this word, so I've added that possibility here. —Angr 21:00, 26 January 2012 (UTC)

Come to think of it, I don't see how *h₁ésh₂r̥ even could give *aser in Latin. By the usual sound laws, if that form had gone into Latin, it would be *eror. —Angr 21:59, 26 January 2012 (UTC)

While you are correct that the form is anomalous as far as Latin sound changes are concerned, it is nonetheless attested by Festus as a word meaning "blood" that the "ancients" (antiqui) used. The presence of "a" where we would expect "e" remains a mystery but the fact that "aser/assyr" is cognate with ἔαρ amongst others is secure at least. One point of note in your hypothetical Latin descendant of the root is that all vowels (except when analogy alters this) are lowered to "e" before r when short. The expected outcome is then "erer" or as you had, "eror" with paradigmatic levelling —Corpusfidei (talk) 17:33, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

See also assyr in de Vaan's dictionary, for the absence of rhotacism. --Ivan Štambuk (talk) 20:47, 26 March 2013 (UTC)