Latvian "vizbulis", "vizulis", Lithuanian"viksva", "vikšris" - etymology of plant names.

The author discusses etymologies of several Latvian, Lithuanian and Old Prussian plant names. Latvian vizbulis named in 17th century dictionaries poisonous plants, is probably to be identified as Conium maculatum, Aconitum napellus etc. Therefore, a relation to Russ. вех 'Cicuta virosa', Hindi visaila pauda 'Conium maculatum', OI visa 'poison', Lat. virus 'slime, poison' seems reasonable. The second element bulis is compared with with bula 'halo; closeness, heat' : IE *bhel- 'to swell, fill'. Thus, the whole plant name could be read as 'full of poison'. Later, vizbulis denotes completely different plants: Anemona spp., Trollius europaeus, Hepatica nobilis, Geum rivale. The new vizbulis is seen either as a loan from German wise-bolle, appropriate especially for Trollius europaeus. Alternatively, the first element can be compared to vizet 'to glimmer, flutter'; from a semasiological point of view this resembles the names of Hepatica nobilis Lith. žibutė : žibėti 'glimmer, shine', Latv. spigulite : spiegt, spindzėt 'glimmer'. Latv. vizulis, reported also since the 17th century, denotes certain plants, mainly Briza spp., according to their trembling movement in the wind. However, origin and comparanda of vizet 'to glimmer, shine, flutter' remain unclear. The traditional etymology of OPr. wissene 'Rhododendrum tomentosum' relating it to German Wiese 'meadow' is rejected, due to botanical reasons. A relation to vizet 'to shine' is supposed. For Lith. viksva, vizga, vikšris 'Carex spp., Juncus spp. etc.', OPr. wisge 'Avena sp.' a new etymology has been proposed: IE *ueig- 'to come into movement, depart', cf. Latv. viegls 'light, careless', Lith. viglas, vigrus 'fast, agile', & the verbal suffix Balt. -sfa-, cf. Lith. vigzti 'to dangle'. Subsequently, resegmentation, change in consonant order before vowel and assimilation appeared