Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/népōts

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

Due to the Greek form ἀνεψιός (anepsiós, “first cousin”) some reconstruct an initial laryngeal, rendering the reconstruction *h₂népōt. An alternative theory is that the Greek form reflects a compounded form *sm̥-neptiyos (“co-grandson”), expressing the reciprocity of the relation. However, due to the attested Homeric Greek form νέπους (népous, “descendant”), there is evidence to disprove the prescence of a *h₂ laryngeal.

The reconstruction without a laryngeal has been suggested to be derived from *né (“not”) and *pótis (“master, lord, husband”).

Noun

*népōts m or f (oblique stem *n̥pt-)

1. grandson
2. descendant
3. (possibly) nephew

Usage notes

The meaning "nephew" is confined to the west and center of the IE world.

Inflection

Athematic, amphikinetic
	singular
nominative	*népōts
genitive	*n̥ptés
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*népōts	*népoth₁(e)	*népotes
vocative	*népot	*népoth₁(e)	*népotes
accusative	*népotm̥	*népoth₁(e)	*népotm̥s
genitive	*n̥ptés	*?	*n̥ptóHom
ablative	*n̥ptés	*?	*n̥ptmós, *n̥ptbʰós
dative	*n̥ptéy	*?	*n̥ptmós, *n̥ptbʰós
locative	*népot, *népoti	*?	*n̥ptsú
instrumental	*n̥ptéh₁	*?	*n̥ptmís, *n̥ptbʰís

Coordinate terms

• *átta
• *bʰréh₂tēr
• *dʰugh₂tḗr
• *h₂éwh₂os
• *méh₂tēr
• *ph₂tḗr
• *suHnús
• *swésōr

Derived terms

• *néptih₂

Descendants

• Albanian: nip (possibly a Latin loanword), mbesë
• Balto-Slavic:
  • Old Lithuanian: nepuotis
  • Proto-Slavic: *netьjь (< *neptiyos) (see there for further descendants)
  • → Proto-Finnic: *nëpada (see there for further descendants)
  • → Kildin Sami: няпай (njapaj)
• Proto-Celtic: *neɸūss (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *nefô (see there for further descendants)
• Hellenic:
  • Ancient Greek: ἀνεψιός (anepsiós) (< *sm̥-neptiyos (“co-grandson”))
  • Ancient Greek: νέπους (népous)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *nápāts (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Italic: *nepōts (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 392
• Benveniste, Émile (1969), Le vocabulaire des institutions indo-européennes (in French), volume I, Paris: Les Éditions de Minuit, page 234