Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/péh₂wr̥

This Proto-Indo-European entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-European

Etymology

Often considered to contain the suffix +‎ *-wr̥.

Noun

*péh₂wr̥ n

1. bonfire

Usage notes

Two terms for “fire” are reconstructible for Proto-Indo-European: *h₁n̥gʷnis and *péh₂wr̥. They are usually considered in semantic opposition. The first term is usually masculine and refers to fire as something animate and active (compare Agni, the most prominent Old Indic deity), whereas the second term is neuter and refers to fire as something inanimate and passive, i.e. as a substance.

Inflection

Athematic, proterokinetic
	singular	collective
nominative	*péh₂wr̥	*péh₂wōr
genitive	*ph₂wéns	*ph₂unés
	singular	dual	plural	collective
nominative	*péh₂wr̥	—	—	*péh₂wōr
vocative	*péh₂wr̥	—	—	*péh₂wōr
accusative	*péh₂wr̥	—	—	*péh₂wōr
genitive	*ph₂wéns	—	—	*ph₂unés
ablative	*ph₂wéns	—	—	*ph₂unés
dative	*ph₂wéney	—	—	*ph₂unéy
locative	*ph₂wén, *ph₂wéni	—	—	*ph₂wén, *ph₂wéni
instrumental	*ph₂wénh₁	—	—	*ph₂unéh₁

Synonyms

• *h₁n̥gʷnis

Descendants

• Proto-Anatolian: *páHʷr̥ (see there for further descendants)
• Armenian:
  • Old Armenian: հուր (hur) (< *puh₂r-)
  • Old Armenian: հնոց (hnocʻ, “furnace”), հն-ոց (hn-ocʻ) (< *ph₂wéns + -ոց (-ocʻ))
• Proto-Baltic:
  • Old Prussian: panno
• Proto-Germanic: *fōr (from *ph₂wṓr < *péh₂wōr) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Hellenic:
  • Ancient Greek: πῦρ (pûr), πῠρᾰ́ (purá)
• Proto-Italic:
  • Umbrian: 𐌐𐌉𐌓 (pir), pir (< *puh₂r-)
• Proto-Slavic: *pyrь (see there for further descendants)
• Tocharian:
  • Tocharian A: por
  • Tocharian B: puwar

References

• Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 202