Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wáy

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 forms

*uwáy (based on Anatolian and Indo-Iranian)

Etymology

Might have been from an earlier *uwáy (“to see oneself”), which has been preserved in Hittite [script needed] (uwai) and Sanskrit उवे (uvé). The form *wáy would then represent a later innovation. But probably of expressive origin.

Interjection

*wáy[1]

oh!
ah!
woe!
alas!

Derived terms

*waylos (“howler; wolf”)

Descendants

Proto-Anatolian: *uwáy
- Hittite: [script needed] (uwai)
Albanian: vaj
Proto-Balto-Slavic: *wái
- Latvian: vai
- Lithuanian: vaĩ
- Proto-Slavic: *uvy
Proto-Celtic: *wai (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Germanic: *wai (see there for further descendants)
>? Proto-Hellenic: *wái
- >? Ancient Greek: αἴ (aí), αἶ (aî), οἴ (oí)
- >? Ancient Greek: οὐαί (ouaí) (possibly)
Proto-Indo-Iranian: *wáy, *uwáy
- Proto-Indo-Aryan: *uwáy
  - Sanskrit: उवे (uvé)
- Proto-Iranian: *wáy
  - Avestan: 𐬬𐬀𐬫𐬋𐬌‎ (vayōi)
  - Middle Persian: [Book Pahlavi needed] (wʾd /wāy/), 𐫇𐫀𐫏‎ (wʾy /wāy/)
    - Persian: وای‎ (vây)
    - → Turkish: vay
  - Parthian: 𐫇𐫀𐫏‎ (wʾy /wāy/)
  - Zazaki: way
  - → Old Armenian: վայ (vay)
    - Armenian: վայ (vay)
Proto-Italic: *wai
- Latin: vae (see there for further descendants)

Unsorted formations:
- ⇒? Proto-Celtic: *wailannā[2] (see there for further descendants)
  - → English: gull, seagull

References

Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 1110–1111
Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, pages 115–116

[1] Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 1110–1111

[2] Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, pages 115–116