Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₃dónts

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

*h₁dónts ~ *h₁dn̥tés[1]
*h₃dénts

Etymology

This noun is usually reconstructed with the initial *h₁ and thus explained as active participle of the verb *h₁ed- (“to eat”). However, Aeolic ἔδοντες (édontes) appears to be a folk-etymological adaptation to ἔδω (édō), and the initial ἔ- (é-) is hence no evidence for *h₁-. Old Armenian ատամն (atamn) also points to *h₃-, as well as a prefixed Greek derivative νωδός (nōdós), which requires *n̥-h₃d- (where */h₃/ was regularly vocalized to ό in interconsonantal position). Thus, the word is ultimately an active participle of the root *h₃ed- (“to bite”) +‎ *-ónts.

Noun

*h₃dónts m[2][3]

tooth
Synonym: *ǵómbʰos

Declension

Athematic, hysterokinetic
	singular
nominative	*h₃dónts
genitive	*h₃dn̥tés
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*h₃dónts	*h₃dónth₁(e)	*h₃dóntes
vocative	*h₃dónt	*h₃dónth₁(e)	*h₃dóntes
accusative	*h₃dóntm̥	*h₃dónth₁(e)	*h₃dóntm̥s
genitive	*h₃dn̥tés	*?	*h₃dn̥tóHom
ablative	*h₃dn̥tés	*?	*h₃dn̥tmós
dative	*h₃dn̥téy	*?	*h₃dn̥tmós
locative	h₃dónt, h₃dónti	*?	*h₃dn̥tsú
instrumental	*h₃dn̥téh₁	*?	*h₃dn̥tmís

Derived terms

*h₃dent-ós
- Proto-Germanic: *tindaz (see there for further descendants)
*h₃dént-sneh₂ (root noun)
- Proto-Balto-Slavic: *déntsnāˀ (see there for further descendants)

Descendants

Proto-Armenian: *ataman
- Old Armenian: ատամն (atamn)
  - Armenian: ատամ (atam)
Proto-Balto-Slavic: *dantís (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Balto-Slavic: *dentís (< *h₃dént-s) (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Celtic: *dant (< *h₃dń̥t-) (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Germanic: *tanþs (see there for further descendants)
- ⇒ *tunþskaz (“canine tooth; tusk”) (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Hellenic: *odónts (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Indo-Iranian: *Hdánts (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Italic: *dents (< *h₃dént-s) (see there for further descendants)

References

Ringe, Donald (2006) From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN
Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “dēns”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 166-167

[1] Ringe, Donald (2006) From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN

[2] Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

[3] De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “dēns”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 166-167