User:Bezimenen/Questionable roots in pIE

*bʰedʰ-

Root

*bʰedʰ-

1. to press, to distress

Possible descendants

• Proto-Germanic: *badōną (“to press, to distress”)
• Tocharian B: pät- (“to dam, to check”) (alternatively from *pet-)
• Sanskrit: बाधते (bādhate, “to press”) [presumably o-grade enlongated by Brugmann's law] (likely from *bʰeh₁dʰ-, e.g. by LIV)

Reason

Inconclusive evidence. Alternative etymologies for possible descendants. Overlapping with Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰh₂- (“to dig, to stab, to pierce”).

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*bʰeng-

Root

*bʰeng-

1. to clump, to gather ?
2. to smash, to break ?

Possible descendants

• Proto-Germanic: *bankô (“bank”)
• Proto-Germanic: *bankiz (“bench”)
• Proto-Germanic: *bunkô (“bunch, crowd”) (alternatively from Proto-Indo-European *bʰenǵʰ-, although -k- is unexpected)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *banˀgas (“wave, downpour”) (possibly)
  • Lithuanian: bangà, dial. bañgas
  • Latvian: bãnga, dial. buôga
• Proto-Balto-Slavic:
  • Lithuanian: beñgti (“to end”) ? (no trace of acute)
• Sanskrit: भङ्ग (bhaṅga, “dissolution, breaking”) ?

Reason

Uncertain connection between possible descendants. Some of the proposed descendants may be fossilized ne-inflex of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to break”). The circumflex in Balto-Slavic requires explanation (*banˀgas is only based on the broken tone in dial. Latvian).

Formally, Ancient Greek φέγγος (phéngos, “light, splendour”) resembles this root, however, semantically it is unsound.

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*bʰewd-

Root

*bʰewd- (limited to North-Western IE)

1. to beat, to push

Possible descendants

• Proto-Germanic: *bautaną (“to beat”)
• ⇒ Proto-Celtic: *bibudus (“guilty”) (past participle)
• Proto-Celtic: *boudi (“booty”) (possibly)

Reason

Seems to be an expressive formation. Compare Proto-Slavic *butati (“to shove”), Proto-Italic *fūtō (> Latin cōnfūtō, refūtō).

Old Armenian բութ (butʻ) is sometimes compared to Proto-Germanic: *buttaz.

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*bʰewǵ-

Root

*bʰewǵ- or *bʰewHǵ-

1. to inflate, to bulk?

Possible descendants

• Proto-Indo-European: *bʰuǵ- (questionable, semantically dubious, possibly pre-IE)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic:
  • Lithuanian: búožė (“knob”)
  • Latvian: buõze (“upper part (head) of a club”), dial. baũze
• Proto-Balto-Slavic:
  • Proto-Slavic: *buza (“cheek”)
  • Proto-Slavic: *buzdro (“fat, flesh”) (+*-rъ)
• Proto-Germanic: *būkaz (“belly, body”) (possibly)
  • ⇒ English: bucket

Reason

No semantic basis for reconstructing a single root. The Slavic data is partially onomatopoeic. The Baltic data could be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰenǵʰ- (“dense, bunched”). Probably various extensions of Proto-Indo-European *bʰewH- (“to blow, to swell”).

Relation to Proto-Germanic *bukjaną (“to bend”), Sanskrit भुजति (bhujati, “to bend”) is semantically unsound.

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*bʰerHǵ-/*bʰreh₁ǵ-

Root

*bʰerHǵ- ~ *bʰreh₁ǵ-

1. to illuminate

Possible descendants

• Proto-Indo-European: *bʰerHǵós (“birch”) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *barkuz (“bark”), *burkō (“bark”)
• Proto-Germanic: *berhtaz (“bright”)
• Proto-Celtic: *berxtos
• Albanian: bardhē (“white”) (possibly)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic:
  • ⇒ Proto-Slavic: *brězgъ (“daybreak”)
  • ⇒ Lithuanian: brė́kšti (“to dawn”)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian:
  • Sanskrit: भ्राजते (bhrājate, “to shine”)?
• Nordic Proto-Germanic: *brōkaz (“spotted”)

Reason

Unexplained metathesis. Evidence for Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁ḱ- also exists: cf. Proto-Slavic *brěskъ, Sanskrit भ्राशते (bhrāśate).

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*bʰleyd-

Root

*bʰleyd-

1. to burst, to seethe (in Greek)
2. pale, bleak (only in Germanic and Slavic)

Possible descendants

• Proto-Germanic: *blaitaz (“bleak”)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *bli(n)ˀstei ?
  • Latvian: blîst (“to expand, to increase abruptly”), 1p. blîdu
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *blaiˀdas
  • Proto-Slavic: *blědъ (“pale”), *blědьnъ
    • ⇒ Proto-Slavic: *blědьněti (“to fade away”)
• Ancient Greek: φλιδάω (phlidáō, “to seethe”)

Reason

Semantically diverse. No e-grade attested. Reminiscent of Proto-Germanic *blaikaz (“bleak”) (possibly from the same origin as Proto-Slavic *blizъ (“nearby”), Proto-Slavic *blěskъ (“splendor, shine”)) and Lithuanian blaĩvas (“whitish, sober”). Possibly an extension of Proto-Indo-European *bʰley- (“to emit, to gleam”) - cf. Proto-Germanic *blīwą (“hue”), Proto-Germanic *blīþiz (“pleasant, blithe”) (⇒ *blīþijaną (“to please, to delight”))

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*bʰreydʰ-

Root

*bʰreydʰ-

1. broad

Possible descendants

• Proto-Germanic: *braidaz (“broad”)
  • ⇒ Proto-Germanic: *braidjaną (“to broaden”)

Reason

Limited to Germanic. Alternatively from Proto-Indo-European *bʰroyH-tós via Verner law (cf. Proto-Slavic *bridъkъ (“sharp, abrupt”)).

Relation to Lithuanian braidýti (“to wade”) is superficial. The later is an iterative of Lithuanian brìsti.

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*bʰreh₁-

Root

*bʰreh₁-

Possibly meanings

1. to pant
2. to breathe

Possible descendants

• Proto-Germanic: *brēaną (“to fume, to smell”)
  • ⇒ Proto-Germanic: *brēþiz (“breath”)
• Proto-Germanic: *brōaną (“to singe”)

Reason

Limited to Germanic. Compare Proto-Slavic *brexati (“to yelp, to sigh, to pant”) (+ Serbo-Croatian бректати), Latvian brēkt (“to cry”) < *bʰrek(s)-.

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*gʰeh₁bʰ-

Root

*gʰeh₁bʰ- or *gʰeh₁b-

Possible descendants

• Proto-Italic: *habēō/*haβēō (essive)
  • Latin: habeō
• Proto-Italic: *hēpai ? (aorist, attested in Umbrian)
• Proto-Italic: *habiō/*haβiō (yé-present, attested in Oscan)
• Proto-Celtic: *gabyeti (yé-present)
  • Old Irish: gaibid
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *gāˀb-
  • Latvian: gãbtiês (“to snatch”)
  • Lithuanian: góbti (“to cover, to wrap; to snatch”)
  • Proto-Slavic: *gabati (“to grab, to seize”)

Reason

The Italic data is chaotic (where does -p- in *hēpai come from?). The Balto-Slavic data is not without doubts, either. Derksen sees connection between Lithuanian góbti on the one hand and Lithuanian gebėti (“to be able to”), Lithuanian gabùs (“gifted, clever”) on the other. The later seem to be from Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ-. Derksen also considers relation to Sanskrit गभस्ति (gabhasti, “hand, ray”), which would require Proto-Indo-European *gʰabʰ-?

LIV derives Polish gabać < Proto-Slavic *gabati from Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ-.

There is no consensus about the coda. De Vaan supposes *-bʰ merely because *b is attested rarely in PIE.

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*gʰreb-/*gʰrebʰ-

Root

*gʰreb- or *gʰrebʰ-

1. to grab
2. to rake, to row, to dig

Descendants of *gʰreb-

• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *grṓˀbīˀtei (causative)
  • Proto-Slavic: *grabiti (“to grab, to rob”)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *grḗˀbtei/*grā́ˀbtei (ye-present, unexpected ā?)
  • Latvian: grâbt (“to seize”)
  • Lithuanian: grė́bti (“to rob”), gróbti (“seize”)
• Proto-Germanic: *grappōną (“to grapple”) ?

Descendants of *gʰrebʰ-

• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *grebtei
  • Proto-Slavic: *greti (“to rake, to row”)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *grebjetei ~ *grebāˀtei
  • Latvian: grebt (“to scrape, to excavate”)
  • Lithuanian: grebóti (“to snatch, to rake”)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *grabas
  • Proto-Slavic: *grobъ (“grave”)
• Proto-Germanic: *grabaną (“to grave, to dig”)
• Proto-Germanic: *grabbōną (“to grab”) ?
• Proto-Germanic: *grabą (“grave”), *grōbō (“cavity”)

Undetermined descendants

• Albanian: kreh (“to comb”) (sk-fientive)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *gʰrabʰ-
  • Sanskrit: ग्रह् (grah, “to seize”)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *gʰr̥bʰnáHti (neH-present)
  • Sanskrit: गृभ्णाति (gṛbhṇāti, “to grab, to handle”)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *ǰʰagʰrabʰa (perfect)
  • Sanskrit: जग्रभ (jagrabha)

Reason

Overlapping, mixture of the meanings. Possibly of expressive origin. Indo-Iranian data could reflect both roots, if presumably *gʰreb- was of "h₂e-present type" = *gʰrebh₂-. Relation to *gʰreyb- (“to groope, to get a grip of”) possible.

Hittite forms attested but with varying reflexes.

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*(s)kew-/*(s)ḱew-

Root

*(s)kew(H)- or *(s)ḱew(H)-

Possible meaning

1. to arch, to bow, to bend
2. to thrust, to shove
3. to cover, to deck

Possible descendants

Bending, arching:

• Proto-Germanic: *husǭ (“hose”)
• Proto-Germanic: *hūsą (“house”)
• Proto-Germanic: *hudjō (“hut”)
• Proto-Germanic: *skiwô (“sky”)?
• Proto-Hellenic:
  • Ancient Greek: σκῦτος (skûtos, “hide, leather”)
  • Ancient Greek: κῠ́τος (kútos, “hollow”)
• Proto-Italic:
  • Latin: cutis (“skin”)

Shoving, shooting:

• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *śauˀti (possibly?, semantically not very convincing)
  • Latvian: šaũt, saũt (“to shove, to shoot”)
  • Lithuanian: šáuti (“to shove, to shoot”)
  • Proto-Slavic: *sovati (“to shove, to thrust”)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian:
  • Arabic: [script needed] (sispata, “to throw”)

Extensions

• *(s)ḱewb- (“to bend; joint, hip”)
  • Proto-Germanic: *skup- (“barn, shed”)
  • Proto-Germanic: *hupiz (“hip”)
  • Proto-Italic: *kubāō
    • Latin: cubō (“to lay down, to recline”)
      • Latin: cubitus (“elbow, arch”)
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *kubȷ́ás
    • Sanskrit: कुब्ज (kubja, “hump”)
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *ćúptiš
    • Sanskrit: शुप्ति (śupti, “shoulder”)
  • Proto-Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek: κύβος (kúbos)

• *(s)kewd- (“to shoot, to propel, to incite”) (see there for further descendants)

• *(s)kewdʰ- (“to hide”)
  • Proto-Germanic: *hūdijaną (“to hide, to conceal”)
  • Proto-Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek: κεύθω (keúthō, “to conceal”)
  • Proto-Italic:
    • Latin: cū̆stōs (“guard”)

Reason

Undetermined quality of the onset (s)k- vs *(s)ḱ-. There is evidence for laryngeal as coda. Semantically heterogenous... See also Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewd- (“to shoot”).

Most likely different roots with close meaning.

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*ḱew-

Root

*ḱew-

Possibly meaning

1. to howl (→ to swell?; to wheeze?)
2. appearance
3. pale, fair, light (skin color)

Possible descendants

Appearance:

• Proto-Germanic: *hiwją (“form, appearance, hue”)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian:
  • Sanskrit: छवि (chavi, “skin, beauty, picture”)?

Howling:

• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *śawā́ˀ
  • Proto-Slavic: *sova (“owl”)
• Proto-Celtic: *kowonnos
  • Welsh: cuan (“owl”)
  • → Latin: cavannus (“owl”)
• Proto-Indo-European: *ḱwṓ (“dog”) (possibly)

Extensions

• *ḱweh₁- (“to swell”) (possibly)
• *ḱwey- (“?”)
  • Proto-Indo-European: *ḱweytós (“light, bright”)
  • Proto-Indo-European: *ḱweys- (“to whistle, to hiss”)
    • Proto-Germanic: *hwistlōną
    • Proto-Italic:
      • Latin: quirītō (“to shriek”)
    • Proto-Balto-Slavic:
      • Proto-Slavic: *sviskati (“to whip, to beat with thin stick”)
      • Proto-Slavic: *svistěti (“to hiss, to produce high-pitch sound”)
  • Proto-Indo-European: *ḱweyn- (“bluish, glaucus; light metal”)
    • Proto-Balto-Slavic: *śvínas ~ Proto-Balto-Slavic: *śvéinas
      • Latvian: svins (“lead”)
      • Lithuanian: švìnas (“lead”)
      • Proto-Slavic: *svinьcь (“lead”)
    • Hittite:
      • → Ancient Greek: κῠ́ᾰνος (kúanos, “cyan”)
• *ḱwen- (“holy”)
• *ḱwes- (“to sigh, to pant”)
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *ćwāsás
    • Sanskrit: श्वास (śvāsa, “pant”)
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *ćwásiti
    • Sanskrit: श्वसिति (śvasiti, “to sigh”)
  • Proto-Italic:
    • Latin: queror
  • Proto-Germanic:
    • Old Norse: hvæsa
    • English: wheeze

Reason

Sparsely attested. The meaning "owl" could be of onomatopoeic nature: cf. Proto-Germanic *hūwô (“owl”), Proto-Germanic *hūwilōną (“to howl”).

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*(s)teyg-

Root

*(s)teyg-

Possible meaning

1. to carve, to stab
2. sharp

Possible descendants

• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *stīˀgtei
  • Latvian: stĩgt (“to sprout”) (1p. sg. stîdzu)
  • Lithuanian: stýgti (“to cease, to stand still”)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *stigtei (no Winter's law?)
  • Latvian: stigt (“to sink, to get stuck”) (1p. sg. stìegu) (ablauting root)
  • Proto-Slavic: *stьgati (“to stab, to whip, to lash”) (possibly, relation to Proto-Slavic *stegno (“leg”) also probable)
• Proto-Germanic: *stikaną (“to poke”) (tudati present?, alternatively from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg- (“stake”))
• Proto-Germanic: *stikkōną (“to stick, to pierce”)
• Proto-Germanic: *stikjaną (“to stitch”) (ye-present)
• Nordic Proto-Germanic: *staikijaną (“to fry, to roast”) (possibly eye-causative)
  • Old Norse: steikja
• Proto-Germanic: *stikiz (“pinch, stick”)
  • ⇒ Proto-Germanic: *stikōną (“to stick, to pierce”)
• Proto-Germanic: *stiklaz (“goblet”)
  • → Proto-Slavic: *stьklo (“glass”)
• Ancient Greek: στίζω (stízō, “to mark”) (ye-present)
  • ⇒ Ancient Greek: στίγος m (stígos), στίγον n (stígon, “point”)
  • ⇒ Ancient Greek: στίγμα (stígma, “branding, tattoo”) (mn̥-result noun)
  • ⇒ Ancient Greek: στῐ́ξῐς (stíxis, “marking”)
• Proto-Italic: *steigō
  • ⇒ Latin: īnstīgō (“to sting”) (possibly)
• Proto-Iranian: *táyȷ́as (s-stem)
  • Sanskrit: तेजस् (tejas, “sharp edge”)
• Proto-Iranian: *táyȷ́atay (medeopassive)
  • Sanskrit: तेजते (tejate, “to energize, to be sharp”)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: (+ various endings)
  • ⇒ Persian: تیز (tiz, “sharp”)
  • ⇒ Avestan: 𐬙𐬌𐬖𐬭𐬀 (tiγra, “sharp”)
  • ⇒ Sanskrit: तीक्ष्ण (tīkṣṇa, “sharp”)
  • ⇒ Sanskrit: तिग्म (tigma, “pointed”)

Reason

Possibly of expressive origin, compare similar Proto-Germanic *tīgô (“tick”) (+ *-ǵʰ-), Proto-Germanic *taikijaną (“to point”) (+ *-ḱ/ǵ-), Latin digitus (“toe, finger”) (+ *-ǵ-). Seems to be also synonymous with Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to sting, to plant”) > Latin fīgō, Lithuanian díegti, Lithuanian diêgt, Proto-Slavic *děgati. Tudati-type 0-grade in Germanic, not shared by Sanskrit and Italic. No consensus on the etymology of some forms.

Based on the constructions in Vedic and sporadic forms such as Grk. στίγμα, Germ. *stiklaz, the root (if valid) may be a member of the Caland system^[9].

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