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”).[1]

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”).[2] 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.[3]

Noun

*h₂elut-

beer

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂elut-

Armenian:
- Old Armenian: աւղի (awłi)
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)
Proto-Indo-Iranian: *Harušás (“reddish”) (possibly)
- Proto-Indo-Aryan: *Haruṣás
  - Sanskrit: अरुष (aruṣá)
- Proto-Iranian: *Harušáh
  - Avestan: 𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬱𐬀‎ (a^uruša, “bright, white”)
Indo-Iranian:
- Iranian:
  - → Ossetian: *ӕлут (*ælut), ӕлутон (æluton), илӕтон (ilæton), ӕлотон (æloton) (probably from Germanic)
    - → Georgian: ლუდი (ludi), ალუდი (aludi)

References

Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*aluþ-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), 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, Boston: Brill, pages 29, 154
Абаев, В. И. (1958), “ælūton | ilæton, aluton”, in Историко-этимологический словарь осетинского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian Language] (in Russian), volume I, Moscow, Leningrad: Academy Press, page 129

Notes

Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 33–4
Edgar C. Polomé, “Beer, Runes and Magic”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 24 (1996): 99–105.
Harald Bjorvand, “The Etymology of English ale”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 35 (2007): 1–8.

[1] Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 33–4

[2] Edgar C. Polomé, “Beer, Runes and Magic”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 24 (1996): 99–105.

[3] Harald Bjorvand, “The Etymology of English ale”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 35 (2007): 1–8.