Picts

[alex_ayr]

Your right I never knew that when I posted. I was looking to see if the existance of the word cruithneachd was related to how the Scots viewed the Picts. I have read that this was the case, it seems odd that the ancient people of Ulster and N. Scotland would be labelled after an agricultural product, if this is indeed the case.

[PRgirl]

Originally posted by ANDY-J2
Is maize not a grass of Latin American origin?If so it would not have been known to Europeans before the 15th century which was 500 odd years after the Picts disappeared from the pages of history.

PRgirl: Quite true Andy. Maize is ancient and part of Mesoamerican culture. In fact Mexico recently passed a law in which no Genetically Modified Corn can be brought into Mexico from the USA under any circumstances. To the Mexicans according to the Mexican gov't "Corn is not simply a food. It is much more than that to us." Cryptic words. But, Mexicans still have a healthy streak of Indigenous attitudes about them. In many places. Corn is one of them.

You do have a great sense of history Andy. One of the many reasons why I enjoy your writings so very much. Eres un placer para leer. Disfruto de tu manera de expresion muchisimo.

PRgirl

[Scottish_Republican]

McBain's etymological dictionary.

cruithneachd, cruineachd
wheat, Irish cruithneachd, Old Irish cruithnecht: *kr@.t-on-, root kert, ker, cut, "that which is cut"; Lithuanian kertù, cut; Greek @Gkeírw [sic], Latin curtus, etc. (Rhys). It has been compared to the Latin Ceres, English cereal, and Latin cresco, creo, as in cruth.

http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/mb11.html#cruithneachd

Cruithneach seems more likely a Q-Celtic version of something like Pretani. "False friends" as they say in etymology.

[alex_ayr]

I got that notion from "a leading authority" on the Picts, mugged again!! Thanks.