Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/dʰembʰ-

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

    Possibly sound-symbolic, compare English thump.[1] The root may also be a nasalized form of *dʰebʰ-,[2] perhaps via *dʰbʰ-néw-ti.[3]

    Root

    *dʰembʰ-[1]

    1. to be stunned
    2. (causative) to strike

    Reconstruction notes

    • The LIV splits this root into *dʰembʰ- (“to be astonished”)[4] and *dʰembʰ- (“to strike”).[5] However, the linguist Alexander S. W. Forte argues that these are, in fact, the same root: the original meaning would have been "to be stunned", with "to strike" developing from the causative "to cause to be stunned".[1] Likewise, the linguist Bilyana Mihaylova—who supports an etymological connection with *dʰebʰ- (“to strike”)—suggests a semantic development from "to hit" > "to startle" > "to amaze" > "to frighten". In support of this proposal, Mihaylova notes the existence of Ancient Greek ἐκπλήσσω (ekplḗssō, “to strike out, expel, frighten”).[2]
    • Lubotsky doesn't reconstruct this root for Proto-Indo-European and suggests the Proto-Indo-Iranian root *dʰambʰ- is a later variant of *dʰebʰ- (“to humble”).[6]

    Derived terms

    • *dʰe-dʰómbʰ-e ~ *dʰe-dʰm̥bʰ-ḗr (reduplicated perfect)[4]
      • Proto-Hellenic:
        • >? Ancient Greek: τέθηπα (téthēpa, “to be astonished, amazed”) (with secondary lengthened grade from *θαπ- (*thap-)[7]; or remodelled from *dʰeh₂bʰ- (“to strike”)[1])
    • *dʰémbʰ-e-ti (thematic root present)
      • Proto-Hellenic:
        • ⇒? Ancient Greek: ἀτέμβω (atémbō, “to maltreat, afflict”)
    • *dʰémbʰ-t ~ *dʰm̥bʰ-ént (athematic root aorist)[4] or *dʰm̥bʰ-é-t (thematic root aorist)[1][2]
    • *dʰombʰ-éye-ti (éye-causative or iterative)[5]
      • >? Proto-Indo-Iranian: *dʰambʰáyati
        • Proto-Indo-Aryan:
        • Proto-Iranian:
          • Khwarezmian: δnby- (“to strike”)
    • *dʰémbʰ-os ~ *dʰémbʰ-es-os
      • Proto-Hellenic:
        • >? Ancient Greek: θάμβος (thámbos, “amazement”) (with -α- from zero-grade)
    • *dʰm̥bʰ-o-s

    Descendants

    • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *dʰambʰ-

    References

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Forte, Alexander S.W. (2018), “The cognitive linguistics of Homeric surprise”, in The Routledge Handbook of Classics and Cognitive Theory‎[1], Taylor & Francis, →DOI, page 47-8 of 39-58
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Mihaylova, Bilyana (2024), “The Words for Fear in Ancient Greek from an Etymological Perspective”, in Балканско езикознание / Linguistique balkanique‎[2], volume 63, number 1, →ISSN, pages 10-11
    3. ^ Woodhouse, Robert (2008), “Some more etymologies not requiring Proto-Indo-European *b”, in Problems of general, Germanic and Slavic linguistics: papers for the 70th anniversary of Professor V. Levickij‎[3], page 19
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), “?1. *dʰembʰ-”, in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 143
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), “?3. *dʰembʰ-”, in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 144
    6. ^ Lubotsky, Alexander (2011), “dambh”, in The Indo-Aryan Inherited Lexicon (in progress) (Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Project), Leiden University, pages 131-2
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kümmel, Martin Joachim (2011–2025), Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV²‎[4]
    8. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007), “*damb 'to strike'”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 54-55
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