Re: Basque grammar

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#11225

From: Yash Holbrook
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 15:16

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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
On Thu, 10 Mar 1994, Gorka Elordieta wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Well, I don't really think my name comes from the Russians. I would assume it
> was the opposite: that our Russian friends copied it from us when the sailors
> from Lekitxo went to fish there, to the Baltic Sea.
>
> Gorka Elordieta

Well, I am certainly no expert on the Basque language.  Perhaps becuase
of that, when I see something I am familiar with, I have an urge to
respond.  While I'm not disounting the possibility of Lekitxo fishermen
being the origin of the root "gork" in Russian, I think it more likely
that it's related to the German gurke (pickle/cucumber) English (from
Germanic) gherkin.  The adjective "gorkiy" in Russian means bitter/sour,
and there's your connection with pickle.  Ogurets is the Russian
pickle/cucumber, and the "gur" root indicates its kinship with the
germanic root.

The bit about drinking a bit of vodka and calling for "gorkiy" to chase
it down is that it's a tradition to eat a salty or strong tidbit
immediately following a toast.  One of the most prevalent tidbits in
Russia is the cucumber/pickle.

Just an aside

Yash

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From: Yash Holbrook <jwholbro@ouray.Denver.Colorado.EDU>
Subject: Re: Basque grammar
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