Ossetic Boar

Abstract The article deals with the Ossetic word for ‘boar’ against the backgrounds of modern Ossetic porcine terminology. The Common Iranian name of the beast has survived in Ossetic anthroponymy only. Due to taboos many descriptive names for ‘boar’ are in use, such as ‘forest pig’, etc. The standard term (Digorian) tusk’a ‘boar’ was discussed by V. Abaev on a number of occasions, and the doyen of Ossetic studies considered it among Ossetic-European isoglosses in view of Eng. tusk , etc. The paper adds Iron evidence never mentioned before in its discussion and reassesses several questions regarding its alleged borrowing from Gothic. It is shown that the currently accepted approach to the pre-history of the Ossetic word as a linguistic loan at least requires adjustments, and that the term may well be of indigenous origin.