Talk:lamb

The pronunciation shown of "lamb" does not show the length of the vowel, but /læm/ is simply not how it is pronounced. It is a long vowel: /læ:m/.31.52.169.177 13:32, 30 April 2012 (UTC)

It does now, as you've edited it. Mglovesfun (talk) 13:38, 30 April 2012 (UTC)

In the US, it's pronounced [ɫɛːm] or [ɫɛə̯m], but elsewhere it's [læm] or [lam] with very much a short vowel. (Traditionally at least. Some accents may also lengthen it.) Kolmiel (talk) 20:07, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

What you mean is that in some places in the US it's pronounced something more like [ɫɛə̯m] or [ɫeə̯m]. In other places it's [ɫæ(ː)m]. Not only that, but in the UK there is also variation in the quality of the vowel. --WikiTiki89 20:58, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

Etymology

Fortunately, the Estonian etymology would not be run through by many people. I was unpleasantly surprised that its author seemed to be ignorant of the fact that Proto-Finnic, or at least, Finn-Ugric has far more franchise as a single language than Proto-Germanic, since the latter is simply formed (as you know) from its core of mezzo-Indo-European (if you like) and the borrowed forms from the substrate language (and dialects) in Scandinavia. Before Celtic had any influence there, it is obvious to most who have studied the ancient languages of Europe that Proto-Finnic was that substrate language and, therefore all the Germanic forms for 'lamb' were in fact derivatives from the substrate root borrowed into Proto-Germanic; whereas the English term is clearly a derivative from the PG form later. Therefore any etymologist can safely assume that: Proto-Germanic *lambaz is borrowed from Proto-Finnic *lambas. The same applies incidentally, to Finnish 'flikka', cognate with Swedish 'flicka', ultimately from the root of Old Cornish 'flogh' (child) - not found in the other Celtic dialects. In both of these cases the words are so basic to everyday farm life that borrowing from a more recent cosmopolitan language is inadmissible. Andrew H. Gray 17:38, 10 April 2020 (UTC) Andrew

Am sorry to have to state that this cleverly fabricated reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European *h₁l̥h₁onbʰos never existed as such; because LAMB in contrast to the Celtic forms for 'lamb' (that are from a simpler P.I.E. root) are from two entirely separate roots. The first is of Uralian or Finn-Ugric origin via Germanic conquests to England, with no evidence of P.I.E. origin; but the second is much more widely related to that simpler P.I.E. form: so the Proto-Germanic form was borrowed from what already existed in the now Germanic dialects in Europe of Finn-Ugric origin, in contrast to the Celtic and Greek etc. forms; and therefore belong to two separate language families! Andrew H. Gray 08:54, 27 January 2022 (UTC) Andrew talk

Etymology

From Middle English lamb[9], from Old English lamb[9], from Proto-West Germanic *lamb[9], from Proto-Germanic *lambaz[7], probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₁l̥h₁onbʰos[0], enlargement of *h₁elh₁én[1], ultimately from *h₁el-[5].

[0] means 'Absolutely not; [1] means 'Exceedingly unlikely'; [2] means 'Very dubious'; [3] means 'Questionable'; [4] means 'Possible'; [5] means 'Probable'; [6] means 'Likely'; [7] means 'Most Likely' or *Unattested; [8] means 'Attested'; [9] means 'Obvious' - only used for close matches within the same language or dialect, at linkable periods. Andrew H. Gray 17:19, 23 February 2024 (UTC) Andrew

Removing quotations

@Widsith: If you are removing someone’s work, at least you should move it to a citation page; this is the usual way we (re)move quotations. J3133 (talk) 13:03, 18 June 2023 (UTC)