Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.21857/mzvkptzer9

Etymology of Croatian vrganj ‘Boletus edulis’ and some other mushroom names

Ranko Matasović orcid.org/0000-0001-7068-3036 ; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu

Abstract

This paper argues against the etymology according to which the Croatian name of the mushroom Boletus edulis, was borrowed from Hungarian. It is demonstrated that Croatian vrganj cannot be derived neither from Hungarian vargánya (as suggested by Skok III:624), nor from Hung. úrgomba. While the former Hungarian word was actually borrowed from South Slavic, the derivation of Croat. vrganj from the latter is phonologically impossible. Therefore, we propose a new etymology which derives Croat. vrganj from *xvъrganjь, from the same root as Croat. hrga ‘lump, knot (on a tree)’. That root can also be the basis from which Croatian (dialectal) hrčak ‘morel, Morchella’ was derived.

Keywords

Boletus edulis; Croatian etymology; names of mushrooms

Hrčak ID:

218732

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/218732

Publication date:

2.4.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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