Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂elut-

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

Reconstruction

Reflex of initial laryngeal can be seen in Proto-Finnic *kalja.

Etymology

According to some the original meaning was “a bitter drink” and is related to Latin alūmen (“alum”) and Ancient Greek ἀλύδοιμος (alúdoimos, “bitter, pungent”).

Another theory is that it is connected to Proto-Norse ᚨᛚᚢ (alu, “something magical”), and related to Latvian aluot (“be distraught”), Ancient Greek ἀλύω (alúō, “to be distraught”) and Hittite [script needed] (alwanzaḫḫ-, “to bewitch, hex”). EIEC explains the semantic connection as, “The notion would be that beer induced a ‘high’ wherein the drinker was infused with a sort of magical power.”

The most recent theory is that it is related to Sanskrit अरुष (aruṣá, “reddish”) and Avestan 𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬱𐬀 (a^uruša, “bright, white”), from which Proto-Indo-Iranian *Harušás can be reconstructed from the two languages.

Noun

*h₂elut-

1. beer

Inflection

(perhaps)

Athematic, acrostatic
	singular
nominative	*h₂ólut
genitive	*h₂éluts
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*h₂ólut	—	—
vocative	*h₂ólut	—	—
accusative	*h₂ólut	—	—
genitive	*h₂éluts	—	—
ablative	*h₂éluts	—	—
dative	*h₂élutey	—	—
locative	*h₂élut, *h₂éluti	—	—
instrumental	*h₂éluth₁	—	—

Acrostatic inflection would fit the Germanic oblique stem

Descendants

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂elut- (1 c, 0 e)

• Armenian:
  • Old Armenian: աւղի (awłi) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *álu (see there for further descendants)
  • →? Proto-Finnic: *olut (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *alu (see there for further descendants)
  • →? Proto-Finnic: *olut (see there for further descendants)
  • →? Ossetian: *ӕлут (*ælut), ӕлутон (æluton), илӕтон (ilæton), ӕлотон (æloton)
    • → Georgian: ლუდი (ludi), ალუდი (aludi)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *Harušás (“reddish”) (possibly)
  • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *Haruṣás
    • Sanskrit: अरुष (aruṣá)
  • Proto-Iranian: *Harušáh
    • Avestan: 𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬱𐬀 (a^uruša, “bright, white”)

References

• Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*aluþ-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 23–4
• Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 60
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010), “awɫi”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, pages 29, 154
• Abajev, V. I. (1958), “ælūton | ilæton, aluton”, in Историко-этимологический словарь осетинского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian Language] (in Russian), volume I, Moscow and Leningrad: Academy Press, page 129

Notes