‛to’, ‛at’, ‛on’, as is the meaning of the Latin prefix ad [11, pp. 51-52]. When
investigating the prefix ad-, it should be noted that, according to N. A. Lutsenko, the
words ад, тьма (< тма ~ тва ~ та || > ат, ад), the colloquial ан and ад from the
Ukrainian адже are related to each other [4, pp. 308-309].
In the second part of the word, -stift- f is the result of the strengthening and the
autonomization of the h aspirate, which means stift ← stiht, where s-mobile is used.
Here, we see the following transition: t → k. If we assume the use of occlusive sounds
in the technical function, what we get is tr ← h. So, strik ← stiht ← shih ← hi, where
hi is the transformation of ha [4, p. 19]. The restored prototype primitive ha = hi = sthi
= stri correlates with the Ukrainian штрикати, підштрикувати. It points to the tool,
with which the action is performed, i. e. it shows the ‛hand’. Please compare the
German strich from streichen meaning І) ‛to walk, to wander’; ІІ) ‛to spread with, to
spread over’, as well the German streifen meaning І) ‛to touch’, ІІ) ‛to stroke (with
something, over something)’, ‛to wander’. The comparison of these words indicates
the semantic series of the ’foot’ ~ ‛hand’. The second part of the word correlates with
the ‛hand’, while the first one says that that ‛hand’ pushes one towards evil. It can be
assumed that the ‛hand’ is the semantic foundation of the German terms Anstiftung (f)
meaning ‛incitement’ and Anstiftungshandlung (f) meaning ‛action aimed at
incitement’. A de-symbolization of the word took place, and that word began to express
a narrower meaning.
Betrug (m) means ‛cheating; fraud’ [8, p. 84]. Der Betrug wird mit Freiheitsstrafe
bis zu fünf Jahren oder mit Geldstrafe bestraft [9, p. 63]. ‛Fraud is punishable by
imprisonment of up to five years or a fine’. According to the etymological dictionary
of the German language, the word Betrug is the derivative of the verb trügen meaning
‛to mislead’ [10, p. 869]. In Middle High German, we have triegen, the Old High
German is triugan, the Dutch is driegen, and the Avestan is druj meaning ‛lie’. Let us
examine the prefix be-. This prefix imparts to the verbs the meaning of purposeful
action, involving something in an action [11, p. 81]. Let us take, for example, the verb
betrügen with the meaning of ‛to deceive; to cheat’, from which our term is believed
to be derived. Let us investigate the second part of this word for the purpose of
determining
a
possible
path
of
de-symbolization.
Within
-trug r, the strengthening of h (aspiration) may be of interest. We get *thug/tug (tuh =
tu ‘darkness’) as a prototype primitive. ‘Darkness’ is an attribute of the ‘mouth’,
“darkness was named after the mouth-pit” [12, p. 101]. Studies show that the sense of
‛mouth’ is represented by all the linguistic means of denoting speaking. ‘Darkness’ is
‘emptiness’, ‘deception’. Our term Betrug (m) has the meaning of ‛cheating; fraud'.
Consequently, ‘darkness’ is the semantic foundation of the term. The loss of a broad
semantic space during the process of historical development determines the narrow
focus of the use of this lexical unit.
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