Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/geH-

< Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European

Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/geH-

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *geH(y)-

Root

*g⁽ʷ⁾eh₂- or *g⁽ʷ⁾eh₃-[1][2][3][4][5]

1. to sing
2. to cry

Reconstruction notes

Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic show the presence of an *-i- at several different locations in the root.

• Lithuanian giedóti and Sanskrit गीत (gītá) would point to *g⁽ʷ⁾eyH- ~ *g⁽ʷ⁾iH-.
• Sanskrit गायति (gā́yati) points to *g⁽ʷ⁾eHy- ~ *g⁽ʷ⁾Hi-.
• Sanskrit गाथ (gāthá), Avestan 𐬔𐬁𐬚𐬁‎ (gāθā) (< *g⁽ʷ⁾eHtH-), Sanskrit जगौ (jagau) point to *g⁽ʷ⁾eH-.

The LIV suggests the reanalysis of a *ye- present as part of the root itself with later metathesis of *g⁽ʷ⁾Hi- to *g⁽ʷ⁾iH- and then normalization to *g⁽ʷ⁾eyH- ~ *g⁽ʷ⁾iH-.[2]

Derived terms

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *geH-

• *g⁽ʷ⁾éH-yeti (ye-present)
  • Proto-Balto-Slavic: *gaˀi-

    Baltic forms received a “*-d⁽ʰ⁾-” enlargement.[5]

    • Latvian: dziêdu (“to sing”)
    • Old Lithuanian: giemi
      • Lithuanian: gíedu
    • Proto-Slavic: *gajati
      • Old East Slavic: гаяти (gajati)
        • Russian: га́йать (gájatʹ)
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *gáHyati
    • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *gáHyati
      • Sanskrit: गायति (gā́yati, “he sings”) (see there for further descendants)
    • Proto-Iranian: *gáHyati
      • Sogdian: [script needed] (žʾy), [script needed] (jʾy, “to speak, talk”)
        • Yagnobi: жойак (žoyak), [script needed] (žóyta, “to read, singl to study”)
      • Yazghulami: [script needed] (γ̆ay-), [script needed] (γ̆ayd, “to call”)
      • Yidgha: [script needed] (žāy-) / [script needed] (išt-), [script needed] (žāy-) / [script needed] (št-, “to say, speak”)
• *g⁽ʷ⁾ḗH-s- ~ *g⁽ʷ⁾éH-s- (*s-aorist)
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *gáHsi
    • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *gáHsi
      • Sanskrit: गासि (gā́si)
• *g⁽ʷ⁾eHtH-
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *gaHtʰás, *gaHtʰáH
    • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *gaHtʰás, *gaHtʰáH
      • Sanskrit: गाथ (gāthá), गाथा (gāthā́) (see there for further descendants)
    • Proto-Iranian: *gaHθáh, *gaHθáH
      • Younger Avestan: 𐬔𐬁𐬚𐬁‎ (gāθā)
      • Khotanese: [script needed] (gāha-)
• *g⁽ʷ⁾éH-trom
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *gáHtram
    • Proto-Iranian: *gáHtram
      • Younger Avestan: 𐬠𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬰𐬌𐬔𐬁𐬚𐬭𐬀‎ (bər^əzigāθra, “singing high”), 𐬟𐬭𐬀𐬔𐬁𐬚𐬭𐬀‎ (fragāθra, “singing out”)
• *g⁽ʷ⁾iH-tós
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *giHtás
    • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *giHtás
      • Sanskrit: गीत (gītá) (see there for further descendants)

References

1. Pokorny, Julius (1959), “gē(i)- : gō(i)- : gī-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 355
2. Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), “*g⁽ʷ⁾eH(i̯)-¹”, in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 183
3. Cheung, Johnny (2007), “*gaH³”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 94
4. Derksen, Rick (2008), “*gajati”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 161
5. Derksen, Rick (2015), “giedoti”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 174

• Bartholomae, Christian (1904) Altiranisches Wörterbuch [Old Iranian Dictionary] (in German), Strassburg: K. J. Trübner