Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wĺ̥kʷos

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

The word *wĺ̥kʷos is a thematic accented zero-grade noun perhaps derived from the adjective *wl̥kʷós (“dangerous”); compare Hittite 𒉿𒀠𒆪𒉿𒀸 (walkuwa-, “something negative”), Old Irish olc (“evil”), Sanskrit अवृक (avṛká, “safe”, literally “not wild”), वृकतात् (vṛká-tāt, “savagery”).[1] Stress shift onto the zero-grade is consistent with nominalized adjectives: compare Sanskrit कृष्ण (kṛ́ṣṇa, “black antelope”) from कृष्ण (kṛṣṇá, “black”). Alternatively, the word may be a derivative of the verbal root *welh₂- (“to tear up”).[2] In either case, the word's formation closely resembles that of *h₂ŕ̥tḱos (“bear”), another thematic accented zero-grade noun whose referent is an animal subject to cultural taboos.[3]

The Latin and Greek reflexes are unexpected (vs. expected Lat *volquus, Gk *álpos, according to the regular progression PIE *l̥ > Lat ol, Gk al). The Latin reflex is a borrowing from Osco-Umbrian (where PIE */kʷ/ regularly gave /p/), and both the Italic and Greek reflexes underwent metathesis, possibly as a taboo deformation meant to offset the fear usually associated with the animal. A deformation would explain the metathesis of */w/ and */l/, which also occurred in Greek (*wĺ̥kʷos → *lúkʷos → λύκος (lúkos)), and also explains the presence of delabialized /k/ per the boukólos rule (regardless of whether it is Proto-Indo-European already or only Proto-Greek). In both cases, the expected forms are so close to the word for “fox” – compare Latin volpēs, Ancient Greek ἀλωπός (alōpós), ἀλώπηξ (alṓpēx) – that avoiding conflation of the two words “wolf” and “fox” may have motivated either alteration or borrowing.

The Germanic reflex, with /f/ < */p/ < */kʷ/, underwent an unusual sound change, but the velar was retained in at least one form, i. e. Old Norse ylgr (“she-wolf”) (vs. Old English wylf, Middle High German wülpe < *wulbi) < *wulgʷī́ < *wl̥kʷíh₂s.

Armenian and Celtic have replaced the word with Proto-Indo-European *waylos (“howler”) due to taboo; compare Old Armenian գայլ (gayl), Middle Irish fáel.[4] (In Celtic, *kū (“hound, dog”) is also used to designate the wolf.)

Noun

*wĺ̥kʷos m

wolf

Inflection

Thematic
	singular
nominative	*wĺ̥kʷos
genitive	*wĺ̥kʷosyo
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*wĺ̥kʷos	*wĺ̥kʷoh₁	*wĺ̥kʷoes
vocative	*wĺ̥kʷe	*wĺ̥kʷoh₁	*wĺ̥kʷoes
accusative	*wĺ̥kʷom	*wĺ̥kʷoh₁	*wĺ̥kʷoms
genitive	*wĺ̥kʷosyo	*?	*wĺ̥kʷoHom
ablative	*wĺ̥kʷead	*?	*wĺ̥kʷomos
dative	*wĺ̥kʷoey	*?	*wĺ̥kʷomos
locative	wĺ̥kʷey, wĺ̥kʷoy	*?	*wĺ̥kʷoysu
instrumental	*wĺ̥kʷoh₁	*?	*wĺ̥kʷōys

Derived terms

*wl̥kʷíh₂s (“she-wolf”)

Descendants

Proto-Albanian: *ulka-
- Albanian: ujk
  - Albanian: ulkonjë
Proto-Anatolian:
- Hittite: 𒉿𒀠𒆪𒉿𒀸 (wa-al-ku-wa-aš)
- Luwian: 𔑪, 𒌨𒈤 (walwa/i, “lion”) (only attested in personal names)[5]
- Lydian: 𐤥𐤠𐤩𐤥𐤤‎ (walwe, “lion”)[6]
Proto-Balto-Slavic: *wilkás (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Celtic: *ulkos (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Germanic: *wulfaz (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Hellenic: *lúkos
- Ancient Greek: λύκος (lúkos)
  - Greek: λύκος (lýkos)
  - Tsakonian: λιούκο (lioúko)
  - → Samoan: luko (learned)
    - → Tokelauan: luko (learned)
Proto-Indo-Iranian: *wŕ̥kas (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Italic: *lukʷos (see there for further descendants)
Paeonian: Λυκκ- (Lukk-), Λυκπ- (Lukp-) (< *lukʷos)
Proto-Tocharian: *wä́lkʷë
- Tocharian B: walkwe

References

A. Lehrman, “Anatolian Cognates of the PIE Word for ‘Wolf’”, Die Sprache 33 (1987), 13–18.
Tamaz Gamkrelidze & Vjačeslav Ivanov, Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans (Tbilisi: Tbilisi UP, 1984), 492.
Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), “*wolf”, in Encyclopedia of Indo-European culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 646
Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 196.
Lehrman, Alexander (1978), “Essays in Anatolian Onomastics”, in Names: A Journal of Onomastics‎, volume 26, issue 3, DOI:10.1179/nam.1978.26.3.220, pages 220-230
Dale, Alexander (2015), “WALWET and KUKALIM: Lydian coin legends, dynastic succession, and the chronology of Mermnad kings”, in Kadmos‎, volume 54, DOI:10.1515/kadmos-2015-0008, retrieved 10 November 2021, pages 151-166

[1] A. Lehrman, “Anatolian Cognates of the PIE Word for ‘Wolf’”, Die Sprache 33 (1987), 13–18.

[2] Tamaz Gamkrelidze & Vjačeslav Ivanov, Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans (Tbilisi: Tbilisi UP, 1984), 492.

[3] Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), “*wolf”, in Encyclopedia of Indo-European culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 646

[4] Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 196.

[5] Lehrman, Alexander (1978), “Essays in Anatolian Onomastics”, in Names: A Journal of Onomastics‎, volume 26, issue 3, DOI:10.1179/nam.1978.26.3.220, pages 220-230

[6] Dale, Alexander (2015), “WALWET and KUKALIM: Lydian coin legends, dynastic succession, and the chronology of Mermnad kings”, in Kadmos‎, volume 54, DOI:10.1515/kadmos-2015-0008, retrieved 10 November 2021, pages 151-166