Talk:πέτρα

I seriously doubt the etymology. Petra is also said of cliffs which are all but a "passage".

Minimally, this etymology requires a reference.

--Diligent (talk) 07:28, 3 September 2017 (UTC)

I agree, although the semantic reasons are not the strongest argument. The OED cites "J. P. Maher (1977 in Current Issues Ling. Theory 125–37)" as suggesting an origin in Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-, but I would like an opinion from Beekes and the like, placed in the entry and referenced. @JohnC5? —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 07:58, 3 September 2017 (UTC)

@Metaknowledge: Beekes is kind of a "meh". I don't know what possible semantic relationship to *peth₂- could be. —JohnC5 08:09, 3 September 2017 (UTC)

@JohnC5: Maher evidently thinks that πέτρος (pétros) came first, with the idea of "projectile" > "rock". Referencing Beekes to say that it's unknown is better than the unreferenced hypothesis that was there before. —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 08:15, 3 September 2017 (UTC)

Suggested cognate

LolPacino (talk) 05:37, 21 August 2020 (UTC) Would Sanskrit Prastara (प्रस्तर) (from where-Hindi Patthar (पत्थर)) be cognate with πέτρα

The Sanskrit word is formed from प्र (pra) + स्तॄ (stṝ, “to strew”) so it means "that which is strewn forth", referring to rocks and pebbles. It was obviously a synchronic formation, but if it were a PIE word it'd be something like **pro-sterh₃ós. Its Greek reflex would have been quite different. -- Bhagadatta (talk) 08:18, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

@Bhagadatta:Thanks for the info LolPacino (talk) 10:05, 17 September 2020 (UTC)