Laconian βοῦα 'band of boys' as a collective noun

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Etimologija; Gyvūnai; Kuopiniai daiktavardžiai; Kuopinis daiktavardis; Lakonijos tarmė; Senoji graikų kalba; Senovės graikai; Spartos dialektas; Ancient Greek; Animals; Collectives; Etymology; Laconian dialect.

ENIn his lexicon, Hesychius of Alexandria gives the following Laconian gloss: βοῦα·ἀγέλη παίδων. <Λάκωνες>("boũa: a band of young boys. Laconians"). This term is confirmed by epigraphical data from Sparta, see especially βο(υ)ᾱγός, later βο(υ)ᾱγόρ m. 'leader of a young boys' band at Sparta' (IG V.1.257; 283; 292; etc.). The author explains the registered lemma from etymological and morphological points of view, accepting A. J. van Windekens's etymology according to which the Laconian term βοῦα f. is related to the Lithuanian gaujà f. 'flock, pack, herd, bunch, band, gang'. She reconstructs the Indo-European nomen collectivum *gu̯ óu̯iā̯ f. 'herd, pack, band', originally 'herd of cows, cattle' (← IE. *gu̯ ṓus f./m. 'cow'), adding other reflexes taken from Latin and Indo-Aryan and Balto-Slavic languages, e.g. Latv. gauja f. 'crowd'; Skt. (Pāṇini) gávyā f. coll. 'cow-herd'; Vedic gávyam, gavyám n. coll. 'herd of cows'; Oriya gāba 'cattle', also 'a cow'; and so on. [From the publication]