Fingers and toes

[matakoweg]

I suppose most languages have a different word for the big finger 'thumb'. But can this word also be used for the big toe?

 

[apmoy70]

Not in Greek, thumb is «αντίχειρας» [aŋˈdi.çiɾas̠] (masc.) < Αncient Greek «ἀντίχειρ» /ɐnˈti.kʰeːr/ (masc.) = «ἀντί» /ɐnˈti/ + «χείρ» /kʰeːr/ (fem.) but the big toe is just the big finger of the foot (literally).

 

[Terio]

Not in French. It is called le gros orteil (« the big toe »).

 

[Welsh_Sion]

Cymraeg/Welsh

finger/fingers

bys/bysedd m.

first ~, index ~ bys blaen ('front finger') mynegfys ('indicating finger') m, uwdfys ('porridge finger') m, bys yr uwd (finger of the porridge')

middle ~, second ~, bys canol ('middle finger'), hirfys('long finger') m, canolfys ('middle finger') m, Vulgar: bys y din ('the finger of the arse')

third ~, ring ~, bys modrwy ('ring finger'), cwtfys ('hut finger') m

little finger, bys bach ('small finger'), clustfys ('ear finger') m

_____________________________________

toe/toes

bys (m) troed / bysedd traed ('finger(s) of the foot/feet')

great/big toe bawd (f) troed ('thumb of the foot'), bys mawr (m) troed ('big finger of the foot'), modryb y fawd ('the thumb's aunty')

little toe bys bach troed ('foot's little finger'), bys bychan bach ('small little finger'), modryb yr ewin bach ('little nail's aunty')

 

[Stoggler]

Cymraeg/Welsh

finger/fingers

bys/bysedd m.

first ~, index ~ bys blaen ('front finger') mynegfys ('indicating finger') m, uwdfys ('porridge finger') m, bys yr uwd (finger of the porridge')

middle ~, second ~, bys canol ('middle finger'), hirfys('long finger') m, canolfys ('middle finger') m, Vulgar: bys y din ('the finger of the arse')

third ~, ring ~, bys modrwy ('ring finger'), cwtfys ('hut finger') m

little finger, bys bach ('small finger'), clustfys ('ear finger') m

Any ideas why on the highlighted ones above, Siôn?

 

[Welsh_Sion]

'Porridge finger' - in order to establish its taste/texture/temperature, perhaps?

'Hut finger' - This is my translation of 'cwt'. It might be another word in English, totally unrelated to small, wooden buildings. So - no idea.

 

[Welsh_Sion]

'Bys' of course is sister to Breton 'biz' - which the French then borrowed and it became 'bijou' - with all associated meanings: gem stone, smallness, compactness etc.

 

[apmoy70]

In Greek:
Both fingers and toes are named the same->δάκτυλο ('ðaktilo, neuter, sing.), δάκτυλα ('ðaktila, neuter, plural), from the ancient δάκτυλος ('ðaktūlŏs, m.).
Δάκτυλα του χεριού (or της χειρός)->fingers of the hand ('ðaktila tu çer'ʝu, or, tis çi'ros)
Δάκτυλα του ποδιού (or του ποδός)->"fingers" of the foot ('ðaktila tu poð'ʝu, or, tu po'ðos)

[ð] is a voiced dental non-sibilant fricative
[ç] is a voiceless palatal fricative
[ʝ] is a voiced palatal fricative

Apologies for quoting myself but I think a more thorough post after 13 years, is required:

The finger in Modern Greek is «δάκτυλο» [ˈðak.t̠ilo̞] (neut.) or colloquially, the dissimilated «δάχτυλο» [ˈðax.t̠ilo̞] (neut.), in plural «δάκτυλα/δάχτυλα» [ˈðak.t̠ila] (neut.) or [ˈðax.t̠ila] (neut.) < Classical masculine noun «δάκτυλος» /ˈdɐk.tylos/ (nom. sing.), «δάκτυλοι» /ˈdɐk.tylø/ (nom. pl.); etymologically speaking, Beekes argues that the Boeotian dialectal «δακκύλιος» /dɐkˈky.lios/ leads to a Pre-Greek substrate hypothesis.
We don't differentiate between fingers and toes, they are fingers of the hand and fingers of the foot respectively.
However, each one of the fingers of the hand has a specific name:
-«Δείκτης» [ˈðik.t̠is̠] (masc.) --> pointer a deverbal from the ancient athematic verb «δείκνυμι» /ˈdeːk.nymi/. It's the second finger, right after the thumb (for the thumb's name check my post #52).
-«Μέσος» [ˈme̞.s̠o̞s̠] (masc.) --> middler < Αncient Greek adj. «μέσος» /ˈme.sos/.
-«Παράμεσος» [paˈɾa.me̞s̠o̞s̠] (masc.) --> lit. next-to-the-middler (Eng: ring finger), a compound: Classical Greek preposition & prefix «παρά» /pɐˈrɐ/ + «μέσος».
-(i) «Μικρός» [miˈkɾo̞s̠] (masc.) or (ii) «ωτίτης» [o̞ˈti.tis̠] (masc.) --> (i) small or (ii) ear (finger).
(i) < Classical adj. «μῑκρός» /miːˈkros/;
(ii) < oblique case «ὠτο-» /ɔːto-/ of the Classical 3rd declension masc. noun for ear, «οὖς» /ûːs/ (nom. sing.), «ὠτός» /ɔːˈtos/ (gen. sing.).