Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂ékʷeh₂
Proto-Indo-European
Etymology
The root as traditionally reconstructed, *h₂ekʷ-, is unknown outside of this word, which is suspiciously limited to a few western Indo-European branches, with the possible exception of a relation to Hittite [script needed] (aku-kal(la?), “wash-basin”).[1] However, this word is of unclear morphology and has also been read as akutal(la), so it can hardly be used as evidence. Despite some attempts to connect either of the roots *h₂ep- (“(body of) water”) and *h₁egʷʰ- (“to drink”), these have been rejected on formal grounds. A connection to *h₁eḱ- (“swiftness, celerity”) has been proposed, (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?) in which case the semantic development would be "that which is swift" > "river" (as attested in Germanic) > "water" (as in Latin), but this as well suffers from the phonetic difficulty of retrieving a- in Italic and Lusitanian from a root without *h₂. The expected root shape may be *h₂e⁽ḱ⁾- (see notes below) plus a u-stem suffix, but no such root is semantically close (contrast *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointy”), whereas no root *h₂ek- is known).
Likely of onomatopoeic or substrate origin in light of these difficulties. Beekes prefers the latter explanation, drawing evidence from "Old European" hydronymy.[2]
Noun
*h₂ékʷeh₂ f(Western Indo-European)
Usage notes
The particular meaning in contrast to more widespread synonyms is sometimes estimated as “running water” as opposed to still water or the substance itself, but this is difficult to determine.
Reconstruction notes
- Though the descendants are limited to Centum languages, Lusitanian is unusual in that it seems to reflect inherited voiceless labiovelar *kʷ as ⟨p⟩ /p/ but sequences of a voiceless velar plus *w, *kw or *ḱw, as ⟨qu⟩ (probably /kw/ or /kʷ/), rather than merging them. Therefore, it can be argued that the stem must be reconstructed as *h₂ek-w- or *h₂eḱ-w- rather than *h₂ekʷ-.
- Proto-Germanic *ahwjō/*agwjō could potentially reflect an old formation in *-ih₂.
Inflection
| Thematic in *-eh₂ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| singular | |||
| nominative | *h₂ékʷeh₂ | ||
| genitive | *h₂ékʷeh₂s | ||
| singular | dual | plural | |
| nominative | *h₂ékʷeh₂ | — | — |
| vocative | *h₂ékʷeh₂ | — | — |
| accusative | *h₂ékʷām | — | — |
| genitive | *h₂ékʷeh₂s | — | — |
| ablative | *h₂ékʷeh₂s | — | — |
| dative | *h₂ékʷeh₂ey | — | — |
| locative | *h₂ékʷeh₂, *h₂ékʷeh₂i | — | — |
| instrumental | *h₂ékʷeh₂h₁ | — | — |
Alternative reconstructions
- *akʷā (pre–laryngeal theory)
- *h₁óḱweh₂
- *h₂éḱweh₂
Synonyms
Descendants
- Proto-Germanic: *ahwō (“water”) (see there for further descendants)
- ⇒ Proto-Germanic: *awjō (“island”) (see there for further descendants)
- ⇒ Proto-Germanic: *Skadinawjō (“Scania, Scandinavia”) (see there for further descendants)
- ⇒ Proto-Germanic: *awjō (“island”) (see there for further descendants)
- Proto-Italic: *akʷā
- Latin: aqua (see there for further descendants)
- Lusitanian: aqua (“river”)
References
- ^ Tischler, Johann (1977–2016), Hethitisches etymologisches Glossar (Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft; 20) (in German), Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Innsbruck, pages 11–12
- ^ Beekes, Robert (1998), “The origin of Lat. aqua, and of *teutā ‘people’”, in Journal of Indo-European Studies, volume 26, pages 469–466