Hungarian Historical Phonology hód

hód 'beaver; Bieber'

First attestation/Old Hungarian data

1138 Hudus (derivative, place name)

EWUng 566, s.v. hód

Important dialectal forms

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Uralic/Ugric/Pre-Hungarian reconstruction

? *kuntV

UEW: *kumtɜ (*kuntɜ) ‘Bieber‘

Status of the Ugric etymology

Probable

Loan etymology

PUg ← Turkic *kunduz

Cognates suggested in earlier research

Mansi: North (So) χuntəľ ’Maulwurf’, East (KM) k˳ontəľ, West (P) kuńt́əľ, South (TJ) końt́əl ’beaver‘ < ( ? Proto-Mansi *kuńt́ə-l)

Commentary

The etymological connection of Hungarian hód and the Mansi words is widely accepted (UEW, EWUng, WOT). Both words can reflect a Proto-Ugric reconstruction *kuntV regularly. However, the quality of the second syllable remains unclear, as the Mansi word is a derivative (Riese 2001: 81); this suffix -l’ appears only in few inherited word-forms and its function is uncertain, but the stem kunt- can be connected with Hungarian hód without problems. The semantics of North Mansi χuntəľ ’Maulwurf’ must be secondary; the Hungarian meaning ‘otter’, first appearing in the 16th century, is explained as secondary by EWUng. The semantics of the proto-form can be reconstructed as ‘beaver’.

EWUng notes that the dialectal form hadvas reflects the “original short vowel”. However, this is unlikely, as the form hód cannot reflect an earlier form with *a. The length of the vowel might be original in this dialectal form, although more research is needed.

Khanty χundi̮l ‘mole‘ is a loan from Mansi, as is stated by the UEW.

The connection with the Turkic words for ‘beaver’ is problematic. Although earlier sources (UEW, EWUng etc.) accept the Turkic etymology, Róna-Tas (1988) has criticized the etymology.

Conclusion

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References

EWUng 566, s.v. hód: PUg ← Turkic

Riese 2001: 81: PUg

Róna-Tas 1988

UEW: PUg ← Turkic Uralonet

WOT