In MDV’s view, vīpera “continues *weip-es-ā to the root *wip/b- v. 'to swing, agitate' (cf. vibrāre), which makes semantic sense. Formally this solution is not completely transparent (*weipes- 'swing, agitation' > 'snake', >> *weipesā-?), but it is conceivable. The name for the viper may have referred to its behaviour (curling, hissing) or its form (patterns on the snake, form of the head) which leaves many possibilities for etymologies.” MDV rejects the alternative etymology *vīvo-para 'who gives birth to living young' (Pliny).
Michiel de Vaan. Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages. Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries Online. Edited by Alexander Lubotsky. Brill. Brill Online.
[MDV]
Source
Houaiss, Antônio & MS Villar. 2001. Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto António Houaiss.
[DH]
Source
Simpson, J., & Weiner, E. S. 1989. Oxford English dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
[OED]
Source
Trésors de la langue francaise informatisées. Centre national de ressources techniques et lexiques. http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/
[TLF]
Source
DEX online (2004-2015). Dicționare ale limbii române. https://dexonline.ro/
[DEX]
Source
Dictionnaire Francais - Occitan, Occitan - Francais, Occitan de Cassignac, Arve. 2015. Dictionnaire Francais - Occitan, Occitan - Francais, Occitan de communication. Toulouse: Mobileoccitan. Can be consulted online at: http://www.panoccitan.org/
[DOC]
Source
Bibliographisches Institut GmbH (2013). Duden Die deutsche Rechtschreibung [online]. Available at: http://www.duden.de/
[DUD]
Source
Mainzer Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur und der Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen (2010). Mittelhochdeutschen Wörterbuch Online [online]. Available at: http://www.mhdwb-online.de/index.html
[MWB]
Source
Nocentini, Alberto (2010). L'etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana. 1. ed. Milano: Le Monnier
[NEI]
Source
Robert Farren, PIE culture words collection, 2017
[Farren (2017)]
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