γίσσα

The word is known from Stephan of Byzantium etymologizing the Carian toponym Μονόγισ(σ)α (s.v., cf. Jablonski 1809:100; de Lagarde 1866a:269; Dorsi 1979a:29; Zgusta 1984a:395; Adiego 2007a:455; García Trabazo 2004a:315 with n. 19). Note that his (folk-)etymologizing of the toponym does not imply that the Carian word he used is non-existent (Brandenstein 1936a: 33, 35; Dorsi 1979a:34; Adiego 2007a:11f.). The claim of Georgiev 1966a:239 that the word is either Carian or Phrygian has no basis.

[Zs.S.]

nom. sg.

γίσσα

For the attestation see under Transmission.

[Zs.S.]

The meaning given by Stephan of Byzantium is generally accepted, as there is no reason to doubt it (Jablonski 1809:100; de Lagarde 1866a:269; Sayce 1893a:117; Hirt 1907a:575; Brandenstein 1935a:col. 142; Dorsi 1979a; Adiego 1993b:52–54, Adiego 2007a:8; García Trabazo 2004a:315).

[Zs.S.]

Setting aside the unelaborated comparison of Paribeni 1936a with Greek γύψος ‘gypsum’, which is nothing more than mere assonance (cf. Adiego 1993b:52), Georgiev 1966a:239 connected it to German Kies and derived it from PIE *giso- (Adiego 1993b:53f. treated also this one as sheer assonance). However, according to our current knowledge, initial voiced stops became voiceless in Carian similarly to the other Anatolian languages (Adiego 2007a:259) and thus, γίσσα cannot continue this PIE word (which thus remains restricted to Germanic and Baltic, for arguments for a loanword, see Kroonen 2013a:289). Thus, García Trabazo 2004a:315 n. 20 rightly claimed that γίσσα has no convincing etymology.

Due to the above mentioned phonological reason, there are two possibilities: First, initial [g] is secondary and earlier it was preceded by a vowel that regularly disappeared (cf. e.g., id- > d-, s.v.). Second, since we are dealing with the Greek transcription of a Carian word, the underlying Carian phoneme might have been different: indeed, Greek gamma can also transcribe Carian ‹q› (from *h₂u and *ku, Simon 2011b:544f., Simon 2017f:387). Unfortunately, none of these possibilities could lead to an etymology so far.

[Zs.S.]