"Quandoque bonus dormitat Corominas": Sobre "arragua, laude, matar"

Abstract

Caro Baroja suggested that Basque arragua ‘melting pot’ goes back etymologically to arrugia ‘gallery in a mine’, a word mentioned by Pliny. This totally aberrant etymology is mentioned by Coromines in both the DCELC and the DCECEH. For laude ‘burial stone’, he follows Covarrubias in accepting laudem ‘praise’, but the more plausible etymology is lapidem ‘stone’. However, when it comes to the etymology of matar ‘to kill’, Coromines rejects Covarrubias’ proposal mactare on behalf of implausible phonetic change; however, mactare was a very popular word, and, despite Coromines’ rejection, has to be considered as the best candidate for an etymology for matar.
Keywords: Coromines / Joan, etymology, lexicography, Spanish language, Catalan language, Latin language, Basque language.