СТРАНСТВУЮЩИЕ СЛОВА В НЕМЕЦКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

The article examines wandering words in the German language using two key lexemes-Katze ‘cat’ and Sack ‘bag’. It analyzes their diffusion routes, borrowing mechanisms, and the reasons why these terms lack a single reconstructable proto-source. The study demonstrates that the German and broader European forms for ‘cat’ derive from Late Latin cattus, whose deeper etymology remains uncertain and is linked to Afro-Asiatic and North African parallels. In contrast, the lexeme Sack originates from Near Eastern šakku and entered Germanic languages through Biblical Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Special attention is given to Ossetian forms, which reflect secondary borrowing and morphological adaptation. The findings confirm that both lexemes represent typical wandering words that spread across linguistic families through trade, cultural exchange, and technological innovations