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From: rte@elmo.lz.att.com (Ralph T. Edwards)
Subject: Re: Do Zeus and Jupiter derive from `light' ?
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In article <3sp1ea$pda@globe.indirect.com>, ftilley@indirect.com (Felix E.
Tilley Jr.) wrote:

> schiller c (schiller@prl.philips.nl) wrote:
> : A friend of mine mantains that the ethymology of
> : Zeus and the Ju in jupiter is the same and derives from
> : an old root meaning light.
> 
> : Another friend mantains that they derive from a root 
> : meaning bright sky. Which one is right?
> 
> : Is there some information available on this topic in the literature?
> : This topic fascinates me, and I'd like to hear more
> : about it.
> 
> : Cheers
> 
> :                       Christoph
> :                       schiller@prl.philips.nl
> 
> I believe deus, deva, zeus (gen. dios), and the English Tue as well
> as Jupiter derive from the proto-Indo-European word for day.  There
> is speculation that the PIE's had a deity called father of the
> day, or father of the sky or father of the heavens.  Note that the
> last two syllables of Jupiter appear to contain the word for father.
> 
> I would like to see other postings on this subject.
> 
> Felix Tilley
> ftilley@indirect.com

It's always a good idea to consult a dictionary.  They have them in
bookstores and libraries. :-)

From the American Heritage dictionary.  If you buy the online version, get
the deluxe edition, it has the IE roots with the etymology.

deiw-. Important derivatives are: Tuesday, deity, divine, jovial, July,
Jupiter, Zeus, dial, diary, dismal, journey, psychedelic.
deiw-. To shine (and in many derivatives, sky, heaven, god). 
I. Noun *deiwos, god.
1.a. TIU, (TUESDAY), from Old English Thw (genitive Thwes), god of war and
sky; b. TYR, from Old Norse Tr, sky god. Both a and b from Germanic
*Thwaz.
2. DEISM, DEITY, DEUS, JOSS; ADIEU, DEIFIC, from Latin deus, god.
3. DIVA, DIVINE, from Latin dhvus, divine, god.
4. DIVES, from Latin dhves, rich (< fortunate, blessed, divine).
5. Suffixed zero-grade form *diw-yo-, heavenly. DIANA, from Latin DiEna,
moon goddess.
6. DEVI; DEODAR, DEVANAGARI, from Sanskrit de- va, god, and deva-, divine. 
II. Variant *dyeu-, Jove, the name of the god of the bright sky, head of
the Indo-European pantheon.
1. JOVE, JOVIAL, from Latin Iovis, Jupiter, or Iov-, stem of Iuppiter, Jupiter.
2. JULY, from Latin Iulius, descended from Jupiter (name of a Roman
gens), from derivative *iou-il-.
3. Vocative compound *dyeu-pter-, O father Jove (*pter-, father; see
pter-). JUPITER, from Latin Iuppiter, Iupiter, head of the Roman
pantheon.
4. DIONE, ZEUS; DIOSCURI, from Greek Zeus (genitive Dios), Zeus. 
III. Variant *dyT- (< *dye-). DIAL, DIARY, DIET2, DISMAL, DIURNAL;
ADJOURN, CIRCADIAN, (JOURNAL), (JOURNEY), MERIDIAN, (POSTMERIDIAN),
QUOTIDIAN, SOJOURN, from Latin diTs, day. 
IV. Variant *dei-. PSYCHEDELIC, from Greek dTlos, (< *deyalos), clear.
[Pokorny 1. dei- 183.]

-- 
R.T.Edwards rte@elmo.att.com 908 576-3031
