Norse AEsir and Vedic Asura.

[Nicholas Ostler]

>Is the Norse word for god, AEsir, a cognate of the Vedic, Asura? 

I believe Aesir to be the plural of Asa (cf another race of Nordic gods:
Van pl. Vanir).  As such it would have nothing to do with Asura, certainly
not if that word is really a privative form of Sura.

Nicholas Ostler

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