arista.

The origin is unknown. Sometimes thus called Etruscan, but this is in the first place not likely since the old Latins were agriculturalists nor are there formal grounds, compare Latin genista (“broom”) for this formation. A derivation from Proto-Indo-European is likely, but concrete relations are unknown. Čop has presented as cognates Lithuanian asȳs, esȳs, esiūklis, asiūklis (“horsetail, equisetum”), Latvian aši, ašas, ašavi, ašavas, ašenes, ašķi, ažģi (“horsetail, equisetum”) (elsewhere one lists a Latgalian ašķi (“horsetail, equisetum”) and puts to the forms also Thracian ἀσᾶ (asâ, “coltsfoot”)), Lithuanian asni̇̀s, ašni̇̀s (“long, protruding hair of a fur animal; rye shoots; edge or sharpness of a scythe”), Epic Greek ἤϊα (ḗïa, “chaff; provisions”), Irish eorna (“barley”) and Hittite [script needed] (ha-a-as /⁠ḫās(s)-⁠/, “ashes; potash; soap”), Hittite [script needed] (ha-a-su-wa-a-i^(SAR) /⁠ḫāsuwāi-⁠/, “soapwort; harmal”). Puhvel finds these alleged cognates motley: he assigns the Hittite word to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- related to burning and ashes, and the Irish word to Proto-Celtic *yewos, from Proto-Indo-European *yéwos (“barley”) also in Proto-Indo-Iranian *yáwas (“barley”). But the comparison just to the Baltic horsetail-words was already made by Bezzenberger. A relation to arundō (“reed”) is somewhat likely, while its etymology is likewise unknown. A relation with Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“related to moving, rising”) is considered.