Always right in her candidness (on the birth anniversary of Tat'yana Mikhailovna Nikolaeva)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the etymological affinity between Slavonic and ancient Greek child names among common nouns. The comparative-typological method of study offers some suggestions about the affinity of cross-language correlates on the basis of the discovery of their phonetic and derivational similarity. It has been assumed that detection of direct etymological correspondences in this lexical group is not always possible because of the isolated formation of the corresponding lexemes in these languages. However, even in the absence of direct links, the genetic affinity of the languages generates the structural-typological similarity. It has been revealed that the supposed similarity of root morphemes requires serious semantic validation. For example, under discussion remains the version approximating the Slavonic *robę and Greek orphanos. The relationship of the root *mold- with the words melos 'member, part of the body', malakos 'soft, gentle etc.' is also speculative, though it finds support in the field of Slavonic and Germanic correspondences. In some cases, we can trace not only the root similarity, but also the affixal affinity of Slavonic and Greek formations, possibly restored derivational models. For instance, to the Slavonic *dětę are detected phonetically close Greek roots with the same idea of sucking, feeding as well as verbal suffixal morphemes providing the assignment of child names to the neutral grammatical gender. In the different root formations *čędo and pais, a common internal form has been found (which links to the idea of conception). It is expressed by the similar suffixal formant *-d- with object semantics. Typological similarity has been revealed in the Slavonic and Greek prefixal derivates, which reflect by different means a general idea of the impossibility/inability to speak. Lexical and grammatical investigations of this paper allow to draw the practically significant conclusion about the importance of bringing the Greek material in etymological analysis of the Slavonic lexicon.

Keywords

• slavonic-greek etymology
• child names
• derivational model
• genealogical affinity
• typological similarity