View Message

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

[Facts] Re: Paris
As someone else said, the name of the mythological character is probably Luwian and, as you probably saw on Wikipedia, it may be related to the attested name Pari-zitis. I’m not a Luwian expert, but I’m interested in etymology. Here’s what I can find:Pari: I can’t find a clear answer for this, so we’ll have to go to its better-documented relative, Hittite. Again, I’m FAR from being an etymology expert, so these are uneducated guesses based on sound only.
1. *parḫu-: Fish.
2. parāi: To blow (a horn); to blow on, fan (as fire); to blow up, inflate.
3. paḫḫur: Fire; torch, torches; campfire, watchfire; embers, burning coals; fever, inflammation, burning, pain.
4. pa-aḫ-sa: To protect, guard, defend; to observe (agreements), keep (oaths, a secret), obey (commands); to seek protection with.
5. parḫūwayas: Thought to mean fish, in the genitive singular form. It’s only been documented once.Zitis: Means “man” in Luwian, as in an adult male or humanity as a whole, or “husband.” This seems certain.Rusty Shackleford is my real identity. My name is not Katie.

This message was edited 11/23/2017, 7:24 AM

vote up1vote down

Replies

If the Luwian form is Parizitis, and zitis is "man", then perhaps his Greek name, Alexander, is simply a translation of the Luwian. For now we can't be certain.
vote up1vote down
You know, I think you may be on to something. The Hittite word for “to defend” is pa-ah-ša, which comes from the PIE péh-s-ti (same meaning) which has the root *peh- (also the same meaning). The Luwian form is unknown, but I think this is a much more likely answer than anything else. Great job - you solved an ancient mystery!
vote up1vote down
Thank you so much, this is so cool! I can't wait to tell my friend Paris that his name might mean 'fish man' in Luwian! :)Do you use an online resource, or do you own a dictionary? Also, when you said pari didn't have a clear answer, does this mean you couldn't find a specifically Luwian definition?
vote up1vote down
I mostly used Wiktionary, and “no clear answer” means that etymologists don’t currently know what the Luwian word pari- means.Based on a comment someone made below, I now think it’s most likely that pari- is related to the Hittite word for “to defend.” I give specifics in my reply to that comment, so definitely check it out.I’m like 75% sure now that Paris is made up of the words for “defend” and “mankind,” so the meaning would be something like “defender of mankind.”

This message was edited 12/7/2017, 8:46 PM

vote up1vote down