Linguistics discussion (split from new factions thread)

[blitzkrieg80]

I agree with Ziegenpeter- Viking_Warlord, I had a similar reaction in that you come across as unnecessarily antagonistic, but I at least prompted such a response toward me by saying you were not correct and while it's your right to have whatever attitude you want, don't expect to people to take that attitude or appreciate it. The Indo-European root *sue- rather ensures that there is no exclusiveness to those who call themselves 'Swabbian', meaning "one's own" as you know, although you are correct in that the later Migration Period Germanic tribes assume the identity of Suebi even though they were not directly related to Arminius' confederation or that named by Tacitus.

[edit] I just realized that maybe there is a language issue going on- in English, 'related' is not necessarily by blood, so Ziegenpeter was referring to the 'name' which is indeed related... yet it is also true there is no evidence genetically linking the original Suebi with the later Suebi (and their territory is vastly different between classical references), although there is no way to verify ethnicity or genetics, so it's a rather moot point in that specific sense.

The Portuguese are not 'the Suebi'. Tribes under the identity of the Suebi did invade, but so did Celtiberians and Romans, while retaining non-Indo-European elements, yet I would not say they are 'this' or 'that', but you probably are just referring to the best known Suebi of Late Antiquity, so that is correct in that very limited sense.


* For those curious on -dōm / 'doom' - it is related to 'deem' and 'do':

A Handbook of Germanic Etymology by Vladimir Orel :



Altenglisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch von F. Holthausen :



Language and history in the early Germanic world by D.H. Green
(warning- large size) :

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Someone had asked about a good book to read on this kind of thing, so there is an answer for ya (DH Green)

I believe on the Isle of Man a judge is still called a Doomster, or something like that.

nice fact, Elmetiacos - i didn't know that - very interesting