Hungarian Historical Phonology far

far 'back'

farok 'tail' (der.)

First attestation/Old Hungarian data

[coming]

Important dialectal forms

[coming]

Uralic/Ugric/Pre-Hungarian reconstruction

PU *ponči (Aikio 2018)

(Disputed:)

UEW: PUg (? PU) *purɜ ‘'Hinterraum, Hinterteil; 'hind part, backpart of something'‘

Cognates suggested in earlier research

1. (UEW) Khanty: East (V) pi̮r, North (Kaz) pĭr, South (DN) pir 'hinter etw. befindlich, Raum hinter etw.'

Tundra Nenets: purdā- 'sich nach hinten, gegen den Strich wenden (z.B. die Strömung, die Haare bei einem gereizten Tier)'

2. Aikio 2018: [coming] < PU *ponči

Status of the Ugric etymology

Improbable (phonological problems)

Loan etymology

[None suggested]

Commentary

The Ugric etymology found in the UEW is impossible: neither the Khanty nor the Hungarian word reflects a pre-form *purV- regularly.

Aikio (2018) argues that far reflects Proto-Uralic *pončǝ. This explanation is convincing, as a parallel case to the development *nč > Hu r is Hu köröm 'nail' < PU *künči.

Conclusion

Aikio's Proto-Uralic explanation is convincing.

References

Aikio 2018: Hu far < PU *ponči 'tail'

EWUng

UEW: PUg or PU Uralonet