Lecture | Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (CIEL) Seminars
Reassessing the etymology of Greek <i>katharós</i> ‘clean, stainless, pure’
- Date
- Friday 28 November 2025
- Time
- Serie
- Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (CIEL) Seminars
- Address
- TBA
Abstract
The paper will propose a new etymology for Gk. katharós which does not resort to the alleged stop aspiration by *h₂ in Greek, as per Martin Peters (1993), who argued for an equation with a Vedic adjective. The Indo-Aryan evidence confirms that these items have nothing in common. The formation of the Gk. adjective can be explained according to Indo-European derivational patterns. Further alleged instances of the rule *Th₂ > Gk. Tʰ will be reviewed and falsified. Following Beekes (1969: 181), the laryngeal *h₂ before vowel did not cause aspiration of a preceding stop in Greek, contrary to Indo-Iranian.