Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/spḗr

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

Etymology

Unknown; perhaps of non-Indo-European origin, like many other bird names.[1]

Noun

*spḗr m[2]

sparrow

Inflection

Athematic, hysterokinetic
	singular
nominative	*spḗr
genitive	*sprés
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*spḗr	*spérh₁(e)	*spéres
vocative	*spér	*spérh₁(e)	*spéres
accusative	*spérm̥	*spérh₁(e)	*spérm̥s
genitive	*sprés	*?	*spróHom
ablative	*sprés	*?	*spr̥mós
dative	*spréy	*?	*spr̥mós
locative	spér, spéri	*?	*spr̥sú
instrumental	*spréh₁	*?	*spr̥mís

Descendants

Proto-Hellenic: *spḗr
- Ancient Greek: ψήρ (psḗr) (Ionic), ψάρ (psár, “starling”)

Derived terms

*spḗr-w-eh₂[3]
- Proto-Tocharian: [Term?] (“sparrow(?)”)
  - Tocharian A: ṣpār (sg.), ṣpārāñ (pl.)
  - Tocharian B: ṣpāra
*spór(h₂)-w-ō ~ *spór(h₂)w-en-[1][4]
- Proto-Germanic: *sparwô[4] (see there for further descendants)
*spór(h₂)-w-o-s[1][4]
- Proto-Germanic: *sparwaz[4] (see there for further descendants)
*sprh₂-és-eh₂[1]
- Proto-Italic: *parezā[1]
  - Latin: parra (“kind of bird (of ill omen)”)
  - Umbrian: parfa (“certain bird”)
*sprh₂-w-ó-s[5][1]
- Proto-Celtic: *sɸrawos (“crow”)[5] (Dybo's law)
  - Middle Breton: frao
    - Breton: fraw
  - Cornish: frau
*spr̥-g-[1]
- Proto-Balto-Slavic: *spurg-
  - ⇒ Old Prussian: spurglis (“sparrow”)

References

De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “parra”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page *parVsā-
Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), “*sper-”, in The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World (Oxford Linguistics), New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 145
Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), “ṣparā-yäkre”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN: “*spērwehₐ-”
Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*sparwa(n)-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 466: “*psor-uo(n)-”
Delamarre, Xavier (2003), “*sfrawo-”, in Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental [Dictionary of the Gaulish language: A linguistic approach to Old Continental Celtic] (Collection des Hespérides; 9), 2nd edition, Éditions Errance, →ISBN, page 334: “*sprh₂wo-”

[DeVaan-1] De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “parra”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page *parVsā-

[2] Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), “*sper-”, in The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World (Oxford Linguistics), New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 145

[3] Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), “ṣparā-yäkre”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN: “*spērwehₐ-”

[Kroonen-4] Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*sparwa(n)-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 466: “*psor-uo(n)-”

[Delamarre-5] Delamarre, Xavier (2003), “*sfrawo-”, in Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental [Dictionary of the Gaulish language: A linguistic approach to Old Continental Celtic] (Collection des Hespérides; 9), 2nd edition, Éditions Errance, →ISBN, page 334: “*sprh₂wo-”