Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/dʰgʷʰer-

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

Conflicting reconstructions. If the reconstruction *dʰgʷʰer- is correct, it can be derived from *dʰegʷʰ- (“to warm by fire, burn, scorch”) with an uncertain suffix *-er-. The semantic connection is evidenced by Sanskrit क्षरति (kṣarati, “to wane, fade; to melt away; to flow, stream; to diverge; to perish”), which shows parallel sense developments to *dʰgʷʰey- (“to wane, vanish, perish”, literally “burn away”); a similar set of meanings can perhaps be found also in reflexes of *teyh₁- ~ *tyeh₁-. In that case, the transitional meaning “to melt” may be older than “to flow”, though this is contested. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Root

*dʰgʷʰer-

1. The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
   1. to flow (away), diverge
   2. to melt, liquefy; to melt away

      Synonyms: *teh₂-, *teyh₁-

   3. to wane (diminish, decline), vanish; to perish; (causative) to lessen, ruin, destroy

      Synonym: *dʰgʷʰey-

Alternative reconstructions

• *gʷʰðer- (before thorn clusters were understood), *gʷʰd⁽ʰ⁾er-
• *gʷǵʰer-

Derived terms

• *dʰgʷʰér-ye-ti (thematic y-present)
  • Proto-Hellenic: *kʷʰtʰéřřō
    • Ancient Greek: φθείρω (phtheírō, “to ruin, spoil, destroy”) (sense likely back-formed from the mediopassive) (see there for further descendants)

• *dʰgʷʰṓr ~ *dʰgʷʰr-és (root noun)^?
  • ⇒ Proto-Armenian: (thematicized)
    • >? Old Armenian: ջուր (ǰur, “liquid; water”, gen.sg. ջրոյ (ǰroy)) (see there for further descendants)

Descendants

• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *gžʰar-
  • Proto-Iranian:
    • ⇒ Avestan: 𐬖𐬲𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (γžaraⁱti, “to flow, surge, flood”)
  • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *gẓʰar- (see there for further descendants)