ferre - ferrum - ferry

[Fabian Ottjes]

The latin word "ferre" means "to bring". Does the latin word for "iron",
i.e. "ferrum" come from "ferre"? Does the word "ferry" have anything to do
with "ferre"?

Thanks

[Evertjan.]

No, Fabian,

The indogermanic root is *farjan
German: fahren
Old Norw: ferja
Eng: fare (passage[money], (sea)journey, to happen)
Dutch: varen (travel on water)

ferry[-boat] <-MMEng verry? <- Du veer (cf Germ: fähre)

--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

[Matthew Montchalin]

It makes much more sense to connect 'ferrum' (iron) with the
verb ferio (smite). After all, you smite an iron sword on an
anvil, over and over again, before it can be used as such.

[Edward Casey]

"Matthew Montchalin" <mmon...@OregonVOS.net> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.44.02120...@lab.oregonvos.net...

Someone here has or has access to the German etymological dictionary. Does
anyone have Ernout and Meillet? From L & S it looks like "ferrum" is more
closely related to 'firmus," "frenum," and "fretus" than to "ferio." Also
"ferry" is closer to "porto" than to "ferre" although it sounds almost
exactly like the latter.

Eduardus

[.Ernest A. Bennett]

Salvete Eduarde et omnes.

Grimm's 1st Law would support the p/f shift of portare/ferry/fahren.
This looks like a false trail in the vein of: "canis a non canendo" and
"lucus a non lucendo".

Ernestus
"

[Hartmut Gastens]

Edward Casey schrieb:

> Someone here has or has access to the German etymological dictionary. Does
> anyone have Ernout and Meillet? From L & S it looks like "ferrum" is more
> closely related to 'firmus," "frenum," and "fretus" than to "ferio." Also
> "ferry" is closer to "porto" than to "ferre" although it sounds almost
> exactly like the latter.

Walde-Hofmann:

ferrum:
*fersom (*bhersom?)
hebr.-phoen. barzel
syr. parzlâ
assyr. parz-illu

ferre:
gr. phero
early indian bhárati
...
early persian barantiy
...

greetinx
Hartmut

[Fabian Ottjes]

"Hartmut Gastens" <gas...@addcom.de> wrote:

Is somebody aware of any decent online latin dictionary (english <-> latin)?
I looked at a number of online dictionaries but I didn't find a single good
one. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

[Matthew Montchalin]

Edward Casey schrieb:
> Someone here has or has access to the German etymological dictionary.
> Does anyone have Ernout and Meillet? From L & S it looks like "ferrum"
> is more closely related to 'firmus," "frenum," and "fretus" than to
> "ferio."

The Oxford Latin Dictionary suggests a connection with "foro" (utter
loudly, exclaim?) after citing the following parallels (ahem, cognates
or whatever):

ferio - strike (Latin)
berjan - strike (Old High German)
baru - rebuke (Lithuanian)
bhrnAti - hurt (Sanskrit

Now, at this point we should not pass up on the chance to connect
'ferrumen' with ferio. It's the stuff that you slap between two bricks
when mortaring a wall. The Oxford Latin Dictionary says that ferrumen
is an adhesive, cement, or glue. It also means 'solder' when used in
welding, joining, and attaching. The etymology of ferrumen is connected
with ferrum, ultimately of dubious origin, according to the Oxford
Latin Dictionary.

[Edward Casey]

"Matthew Montchalin" <mmon...@OregonVOS.net> wrote in message

news:Pine.LNX.4.44.021205...@lab.oregonvos.net...

Thanks Matthew. It looks like "ferrum" is a two-edged word. Not only is it
"firmum" but it is used to strike things and people (certainly among the
first uses of metals was as weapons) and it is necessary to strike it very
hard to forge it into a useful shape. Does OLD really give "foro" as a
synonym of "for, fari= speak?" The only verb "foro" I know of means "to
bore, drill."

Eduardus