Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/līðrā

This Proto-Italic 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-Italic

Etymology

    Weiss derives the term from Proto-Indo-European *leyH- (to pour) suffixed with a femininization of the instrumental/resultative suffix *-dʰrom, under the assumption that the term originally meant "pouring (of metal)" before evolving to mean a unit of weight.[1]

    Noun

    *līðrā f

    1. ingot
    2. the weight of an ingot

    Reconstruction notes

    • De Vaan's reconstruction *leiθrā[2] does not make much sense given the Ancient Greek form, as neither Greek nor any Italic language monophthongized *ei to ī by the time the Italic word was borrowed into Greek.[1]

    Declension

    Declension of *līðrā (ā-stem)
    singular plural
    nominative *līðrā *līðrās
    vocative *līðra *līðrās
    accusative *līðram *līðrans
    genitive *līðrās *līðrāzom
    dative *līðrāi *līðrais
    ablative *līðrād *līðrais
    locative *līðrāi *līðrais

    Descendants

    • Latin: lībra (see there for further descendants)
    • Sicel: *lītrā
      • Ancient Greek: λίτρα (lítra) (see there for further descendants)

    References

    1. 1.0 1.1 Michael Weiss, "The Etymology of Latin lībra", conference paper presented at the SCS Greek and Latin Linguistics Panel on January 5, 2021
    2. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “lībra”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 339