Fw: Concepts and Words
Peter Phillips
p.m.phillips at champness.shef.ac.uk
Thu Jul 2 03:53:35 EDT 1998
Unfortunately not. I am left with the following assumptions from this thread:
1. An IE root *KU later developing into several IE languages and meaning kiss
2. KUNEW in Homer as "kiss"
3. PROSKUNEW used in Attic and elsewhere as "honour, show homage or obeisance" and later developing into "kiss" (as in kiss a superior's ring as an act of homage not kiss your wife [though I realise some bright spark will say there is not much difference between the two]?)
I like Carl's postulated kissing of the floor in front of the potentate. But there seems to be a massive leap between a Homeric kiss and an Attic grovel!!!
Pete Phillips,
NT Tutor
Cliff College, Sheffield, UK
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