Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂elut-

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

Reconstruction

Reflex of initial laryngeal can be seen in Proto-Finnic *kalja.

Etymology

According to some the original meaning was “a bitter drink” and is related to Latin alūmen (“alum”) and Ancient Greek ἀλύδοιμος (alúdoimos, “bitter, pungent”).^[1]

Another theory is that it is connected to Proto-Norse ᚨᛚᚢ (alu, “something magical”), and related to Latvian aluot (“be distraught”), Ancient Greek ἀλύω (alúō, “to be distraught”) and Hittite [script needed] (alwanzaḫḫ-, “to bewitch, hex”).^[2] EIEC explains the semantic connection as, “The notion would be that beer induced a ‘high’ wherein the drinker was infused with a sort of magical power.”

The most recent theory is that it is related to Sanskrit अ॒रु॒ष (aruṣá, “reddish”) and Avestan 𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬱𐬀 (a^uruša, “bright, white”), from which Proto-Indo-Iranian *Harušás can be reconstructed from the two languages.^[3]

Noun

*h₂elut-

beer

Inflection

(perhaps)

Athematic, acrostatic
	singular
nominative	*h₂ólut
genitive	*h₂éluts
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*h₂ólut	—	—
vocative	*h₂ólut	—	—
accusative	*h₂ólut	—	—
genitive	*h₂éluts	—	—
ablative	*h₂éluts	—	—
dative	*h₂élutey	—	—
locative	h₂élut, h₂éluti	—	—
instrumental	*h₂éluth₁	—	—

Acrostatic inflection would fit the Germanic oblique stem

Descendants

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂elut- (1 c, 0 e)

Armenian:
- Old Armenian: աւղի (awłi) (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Balto-Slavic: *álu (see there for further descendants)
- →? Proto-Finnic: *olut (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Germanic: *alu (see there for further descendants)
- →? Proto-Finnic: *olut (see there for further descendants)
- →? Ossetian: *ӕлут (*ælut), ӕлутон (æluton), илӕтон (ilæton), ӕлотон (æloton)
  - → Georgian: ლუდი (ludi), ალუდი (aludi)
>? Proto-Indo-Iranian: *Harušás (“reddish”)
- Proto-Indo-Aryan: *Haruṣás
  - Sanskrit: अ॒रु॒ष (aruṣá)
- Proto-Iranian: *Harušáh
  - Avestan: 𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬱𐬀 (a^uruša, “bright, white”)
→? Tsez: ороду (orodu, “beer”)

References

Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*aluþ-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 23–4
Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 60
Martirosyan, Hrach (2010), “awɫi”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, pages 29, 154
Abajev, V. I. (1958), “ælūton | ilæton, aluton”, in Историко-этимологический словарь осетинского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian Language] (in Russian), volume I, Moscow and Leningrad: Academy Press, page 129

Notes

^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 33–4
^ Edgar C. Polomé, “Beer, Runes and Magic”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 24 (1996): 99–105.
^ Harald Bjorvand, “The Etymology of English ale”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 35 (2007): 1–8.

[1] Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 33–4

[2] Edgar C. Polomé, “Beer, Runes and Magic”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 24 (1996): 99–105.

[3] Harald Bjorvand, “The Etymology of English ale”, Journal of Indo-European Studies 35 (2007): 1–8.

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