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Both PIE *ger- and the Greek, Celtic, Germanic, Armenian, Latin, Baltic and Slavic terms for cranes are assumed to refer to the Eurasian Crane. However, considering the actual phonetics of the calls of Eurasian Cranes it is possible that only the Greek, Celtic, Germanic, Armenian and Latin terms reflect its clarion call while PIE *ger-, and its derivatives in Baltic, Slavic and Ossetic, reflect the clarion call of another species, the Demoiselle Crane. The physiology, ethology and distributive patterns (6000-2000 years ago) of the two species support this assumption. Also Old Indic krauñcah reflects the phonetics of Eurasian Cranes and since the Indo-Aryan-speaking tribes apparently 'co-existed' with Eurasian Cranes from their origin on the Pontic-Caspian Steppes to their settlement in the Indus Valley the term krauñcah might be cognate with the Germanic, Celtic, Greek and Armenian terms. This could indicate the significance of onomatopoeia in relation to retaining or changing a species-specific term.
The Eurasian Crane (Grus grus)
The Eurasian Crane, which breeds from North Europe, (and bred in England, cf. Tranmere) to Siberia and China, winters in Africa and India. With a height of about 115 cm., a weight of 4.5/6.1 kg. and a wingspan from 220 to 245 cm. it is one of the most conspicuous of all avian species2 (Cramp et al. 1980, II: 618-626), displaying more than sixty behavioral acts (ethons) signifying social intentions and expressions (Ellis et al. 1998); but the single most remarkable feature, apart from monogamy, is its loud penetrating call. 3 This has endowed it with a species-specific denomination from a very early period. The amplitude of the clarion call of Eurasian Cranes, which ranges from 88 to 104 decibels (Cramp et al. 1980, II: 635), makes them audible at a distance of two to three km. (Walkinshaw 1973:37). This is primarily due to elongation of the trachea, which on average measures 109.6 cm. (Johnsgard 1983:32) in combination with enlargement of the syrinx (Fitch 1999:39). A species like the Eurasian Crane whose syrinx has a large tympaniform membrane area, produces low frequency calls with a rich development of harmonics (Johnsgard 1971:57).
The Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)
Partly overlapping the range of Eurasian Cranes there is another species of crane, the Demoiselle Crane, which is the most...