doiSerbia

S.-CR. Koca Dorsum montis, Montis genus; clivus: An etymological-semantic view

Vlajić-Popović Jasna (Beograd)

The paper deals with a case of multiple homonymy as reflected in the S.-Cr noun kosa. Leaving aside the etymologically identical pair of *kosa "coma" and kosa "falx" known to all Slavic languages (and therefore reconstructed for PS1. too, as obvious postverbals of PSI. *česati), as well as the newly established *kosa "aggregatio erosionis fluminis, promontorium", the author focuses on yet another homonymous noun in S.-Cr.: kosa "dorsum montis montis genus; clivus" which has hitherto not been given a satisfactory etymological interpretation. Four existing etymologies (three counting on various metaphors of already recognized nouns and one in favor of substantivisation of the adjective *kosb) are discussed and rejected as insufficiently persuading. Basic argumentation is presented for describing this semantically ambiguous geographic term as a post verbal of S.-Cr. kositi "cut; hit, fight; quarrel, hurt, etc.", a nomen resultativum meaning "that which has been cut (off)", specifically "cliff. This solution being formally unproblematic, the discussion is focused on semantic and typological parallels furnished by synonymous series of verbs and nouns derived from them within Serbo-Croatian itself.