Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰlendʰ-

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

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Root

*bʰlendʰ-^[1]

to blend, to mix up
to make cloudy, opaque
^? blond, red-haired, ruddy (alternative/contested)^{[note 1]}

Derived terms

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰlendʰ- (36 c, 0 e)

*bʰlondʰ-e- (o-grade root present)
- Proto-Germanic: *blandaną (see there for further descendants)
*bʰlendʰ-ye-ti (ye-present)
- Proto-Balto-Slavic: *blenstei (see there for further descendants)
*bʰlendʰ-i-s or *bʰln̥dʰ-i-s
- Proto-Balto-Slavic: *blendis
  - Proto-Slavic: *blędь (see there for further descendants)
*bʰln̥dʰ-nó-s
- Proto-Indo-Iranian: *bʰradʰnás
  - Proto-Indo-Aryan: *bradʰnás
    - >? Sanskrit: ब्रध्न (bradhná, “ruddy, pale-red, blond, yellowish”)^{[note 2]}
*bʰlendʰ-os
- Proto-Germanic: *blindaz (“blind”) (see there for further descendants)
*bʰlondʰ-éye-ti
- Proto-Balto-Slavic: *blándīˀtei
  - Latvian: blàndîtiês, blôdîtiês
  - Lithuanian: blandýtis
  - Proto-Slavic: *blǭdìti (see there for further descendants)
*bʰlondʰ-o-s
- Proto-Balto-Slavic: *blandas (see there for further descendants)
*bʰl̥ndʰ-os or *bʰlendʰ-os
- >? Proto-Germanic: *blundaz
  - Frankish: *blund
    - → Medieval Latin: blondus
      - Old French: blond, blont
        Middle French: blond
        → English: blond

Notes

^ Based on Sanskrit ब्रध्न (bradhna) and a presumed Germanic source of Latin blondus. However, the former has alternative possible etymologies, and the latter has no actual Germanic reflexes. Even if a reconstruction *bʰlendʰ- for these is valid, it might not belong here; Watkins^[2] suggests derivation from *bʰel- (“to blaze, be shiny”).
^ Alternatively linked to Proto-Slavic *bronъ (“white, grayish”) (for earlier **brodnъ)^[3] and Albanian bram (“rust, earwax, residue”).^[4] Both proposed etymologies are problematic.

References

^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*blandan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 66–67
^ “blond”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
^ Derksen, Rick (2008), “*bronъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden; Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 64
^ Oryol, Vladimir E. (1998), “bram”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 33

[note1-3] Based on Sanskrit ब्रध्न (bradhna) and a presumed Germanic source of Latin blondus. However, the former has alternative possible etymologies, and the latter has no actual Germanic reflexes. Even if a reconstruction *bʰlendʰ- for these is valid, it might not belong here; Watkins^[2] suggests derivation from *bʰel- (“to blaze, be shiny”).

[6] Alternatively linked to Proto-Slavic *bronъ (“white, grayish”) (for earlier **brodnъ)^[3] and Albanian bram (“rust, earwax, residue”).^[4] Both proposed etymologies are problematic.

[1] Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*blandan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 66–67

[2] “blond”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.

[4] Derksen, Rick (2008), “*bronъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden; Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 64

[5] Oryol, Vladimir E. (1998), “bram”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 33

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