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Indo-European Lexicon

PIE Etymon and IE Reflexes

Below we display: a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) etymon adapted from Pokorny, with our own English gloss; our Semantic Field assignment(s) for the etymon, linked to information about the field(s); an optional Comment; and Reflexes (derived words) in various Indo-European languages, organized by family/group in west-to-east order where Germanic is split into West/North/East families and English, our language of primary emphasis, is artificially separated from West Germanic. IE Reflexes appear most often as single words with any optional letter(s) enclosed in parentheses; but alternative full spellings are separated by '/' and "principal parts" appear in a standard order (e.g. masculine, feminine, and neuter forms) separated by commas.

Reflexes are annotated with: Part-of-Speech and/or other Grammatical feature(s); a short Gloss which, especially for modern English reflexes, may be confined to the oldest sense; and some Source citation(s) with 'LRC' always understood as editor. Keys to PoS/Gram feature abbreviations and Source codes appear below the reflexes; at the end are links to the previous/next etyma [in Pokorny's alphabetic order] that have reflexes.

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings may appreciate the source & meaning tips that pop up when the mouse pointer hovers over a non-obvious word or name that he coined from Indo-European (usually Old English or Old Norse) stock. But only reflexes of PIE etyma can be included, and these tend to concentrate in the vocabulary of Rohan and the Shire.

All reflex pages are currently under active construction; as time goes on, corrections may be made and/or more etyma & reflexes may be added.

Note: this page is for systems/browsers with Unicode^® support, but fonts for only the Unicode 2.0 character set (including combining diacritics). Versions of this page rendered in alternate character sets are available via links (see Unicode 3 and ISO-8859-1) in the left margin.

Pokorny Etymon: 1. g̑hel-, and ghel-?, also as i-, u-, or n-stem; g̑helə-, g̑hlē-, g̑hlō-, g̑hlə- 'to shine, glare, glow; gold, yellow, bright color'

Semantic Field: to Shine, Glisten

Indo-European Reflexes:

Family/Language	Reflex(es)	PoS/Gram.	Gloss	Source(s)
Celtic
Old Irish:	gel	adj/n	white	GED
	glan	adj	clean	GED
	glass	adj	blue, green	RPN
	glé	adj	clear	RPN
English
Old English:	(g)ealla	n.masc	gall	W7/ASD
	geolo/geolu	adj	yellow	GED
	glæd	adj	glad, cheerful, bright, brilliant	RPN
	glǣm	n.masc	gleam, brilliant light	RPN/ASD
	glæs	n.neut	glass	W7/ASD
	glēaw	adj	wise, prudent, sagacious	LRC
	glēd	n.fem	gleed	ASD
	glida	n.masc	glede: kite	W7
	glīdan	vb.str	to glide, slip	RPN/ASD
	glidder	adj	slippery	RPN
	glisian	vb	to glitter	RPN
	glisnian	vb.wk	to glisten	W7/ASD
	glōm	n	gloom, twilight	RPN
	glōming/glōm(m)ung	n.fem	gloaming, darkness	W7/ASD
	glōwan	vb	to glow	RPN
	gold	n.neut	gold	LRC
	gyldan	vb.wk	to gild	W7/ASD
Middle English:	arsenik	n	arsenic	AHD
	coler	n	choler	W7
	colera	n	bile	W7
	felon	adj	felon	W7
	gall	n	gall	W7
	gilden	vb	to gild	W7
	glad	adj	glad	W7
	glaren	vb	to glare	W7
	glas	n	glass	W7
	glasen	vb	to glaze	W7
	glede	n	glede: kite	W7
	gleed	n	gleed	W7
	gleem	n	gleam	W7
	gleg	adj	gleg	W7
	glenten/glinten	vb	to glint, dart obliquely	W7
	gliden	vb	to glide	W7
	glimeren	vb	to glimmer	W7
	glimsen	vb	to glimpse	W7
	glistnen	vb	to glisten	W7
	glistren	vb	to glister	W7
	gliteren	vb	to glitter	W7
	glouten	vb	to glout	IEW
	glowen	vb	to glow	W7
	gold	n	gold	W7
	golden	adj	golden	W7
	gollan	n	daisy	W7
	malencolie	n	melancholy	W7
	yelow/yelwe	adj	yellow	W7
English:	acholia	n	lack/deficiency of bile	AHD
	arsenic	n	highly poisonous metallic element	AHD
	chloasma	n	brownish skin discoloration	AHD
	chlorine	n	greenish-yellow halogen gas	W7
	chlorite	n	green monoclinic mineral resembling mica	AHD/W7
	chlor(o)-	pfx	green; chlorine	AHD/W7
	chol(e)-	pfx	bile, gall	AHD
	choler	n	yellow bile	AHD/W7
	cholera	n	disease marked by severe gastrointestinal distress	AHD/W7
	felon	adj	cruel, evil	AHD/W7
	gall	n	bile; rancor, bitterness	AHD/W7
	gild, gilt	vb.wk.trans	to overlay with thin gold covering	AHD/W7
	glabella	n	smooth prominence between eyebrows	AHD/W7
	glabrous	adj	smooth	AHD/W7
	glad	adj	having naturally cheerful/happy disposition	AHD/W7
	glance	n	mineral sulfide with metallic luster	AHD/W7
	glare	vb	to shine with uncomfortably harsh/brilliant light	AHD/W7
	glass	n	amorphous transparent/translucent inorganic substance	AHD/W7
	glaze	vb	to fit/furnish with glass	AHD/W7
	glazier	n	one who glazes, sets glass	AHD/W7
	gleam	n	transient appearance of subdued/partly obscured light	AHD/W7
	glede	n	gleed in Tolkien: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings	LRC
	glede	n	kite: (European) bird of prey	AHD/W7
	gleed	n	ember, live/glowing coal	AHD/W7
	gleg	adj	quick, sharp	AHD/W7
	glib	adj	smooth, slippery	AHD/W7
	glide	vb	to move smoothly/effortlessly/continuously	AHD/W7
	glimmer	vb.intrans	to shine faintly/unsteadily	AHD/W7
	glimpse	vb	to glimmer	AHD/W7
	glint	vb	to glance off	AHD/W7
	glissade	vb.intrans	to slide down snow-covered slope without skis/other devices	AHD/W7
	glisten	vb.intrans	to reflect light with mild luster/sparkling radiance	AHD/W7
	glister	vb.intrans	to glisten	AHD/W7
	glitch	n	minor mishap/problem/malfunction	AHD
	glitter	vb.intrans	to reflect light with brilliant/metallic luster	AHD/W7
	glitz	n	flashiness, ostentatious showiness	AHD
	glitzy	adj	showy, flashy	AHD
	gloaming	n	dusk, twilight	AHD/W7
	gloat	vb.intrans	to look/gaze admiringly/affectionately	AHD/W7
	glogg	n	mulled wine, hot alcoholic punch	AHD
	Glóin	prop.n	dwarf in Tolkien: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings	LRC
	gloom	n	darkness, dark place	W7
	gloss	n	polish, superficial luster/brightness	AHD/W7
	glout	vb	to scowl, frown	IEW/W7
	glow	vb.intrans	to shine with intense heat	AHD/W7
	glower	vb	to frown, look/stare sullenly	IEW/W7
	gold	n	malleable ductile metal used in coins/jewelry/etc.	AHD/W7
	Goldberry	prop.n	Bombadil's wife in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings	LRC
	golden	adj	re: gold	W7
	Goldwine	prop.n	6th Rohan king in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings	LRC
	gowan	n	daisy	AHD/W7
	guilder	n	gold (florin)	AHD/W7
	gulden	n	gold	W7
	melancholy	n	abnormal state characterized by depression/irascibility	AHD/W7
	yellow	adj	of color yellow	AHD/W7
	zloty	n	unit of Polish currency	AHD/W7
Scots English:	gleg	adj	quick of perception	ASD
	gloming	n	gloaming	W7
	glowren	vb	to glower	W7
W-Germanic
Old Frisian:	glēd	n	gleed	ASD
	glisa	vb	to shine, glisten	ASD
	gold	n.str.neut	gold	GED
Middle Dutch:	gulden	adj	golden	W7
Dutch:	gal	n.fem	gall	ASD
	glas	n	glass	TLL
	goud	n	gold	TLL
	gulden	adj	golden	W7
Old Saxon:	galla	n.fem	gall	ASD
	gelo	adj	yellow	GED
	glau	adj	wise, prudent, clear-sighted	ASD
	glīdan	vb	to glide, slip	RPN
	glōjan	vb	to glow	RPN
	gold	n.str.neut	gold	GED
Low German:	glibberig	adj	slippery	W7
Old High German:	galla	n.fem	gall	ASD
	gelo	adj	yellow	GED/RPN
	glanz	adj	bright	W7
	glas	n	glass, amber	KDW
	glat/clat	adj	bright, shiny; smooth, slippery	RPN/ASD
	glaw	adj	wise, prudent, clear-sighted	ASD
	gleimo	n	gleam, brightness	ASD
	glenzen	vb	to shine	RPN
	glītan	vb	to glide, slip	RPN
	glīzan	vb	to shine	AHD
	gluoen	vb	to glow	RPN
	gluot	n	gleed	ASD
	gold	n.str.neut	gold	GED
Middle High German:	galle	n.fem	gall	ASD
	glimsen	vb	to glimmer	W7
	glīten	vb	to glide	AHD
	glitschen	vb	to glide	AHD
	glitzen	vb	to shine	AHD
New High German:	glatt	adj	smooth, slippery	RPN
	gleiten	vb	to glide, to slip, to slide	RPN
German:	Chlorit	n	chlorite	W7
	Galle	n.fem	gall	ASD
	Glanz	n	glance; luster	W7
	Glas	n	glass	TLL
	glau	adj	wise, prudent, clear-sighted	ASD
	glitzern	vb	to glitter	AHD
	gluth	n	gleed	ASD
	Gold	n.neut	gold	LRC
Yiddish:	glitsh	n	slip, lapse, glitch	AHD
	glitshn	vb	to glide, slip	AHD
N-Germanic
Old Norse:	fingrgull	n.neut	ring, lit. finger-gold	GED
	gall	n.neut	gall	ODE
	Glámr	prop.n.masc	Glam: ghost in Grettis saga	ICE
	gler	n	glass	KNW
	glitra	vb	to shine	W7
	glotta	vb	to glout, grin scornfully	W7
	glóa	vb	to glow, shine, glitter	LRC
	Glói(nn)	prop.n.masc	Gloin (Voluspa dwarf)	LRC
	glöggr	adj	clear-sighted	W7
	gull	n.neut	gold	LRC
Old Icelandic:	glaðr	adj	glad, cheerful	RPN
	glámr	n.masc	moon	IEW/ICE
	glit	n	glitter	RPN
	gljá	vb	to shine, glisten	RPN
	glóa	vb	to glow, shine, glitter	RPN
	glóð	n	red-hot ember(s)	RPN
	glæa	vb	to glow, glisten	RPN
	gulr	adj	yellow	GED/RPN
Icelandic:	gall	n.neut	gall	ASD
	glaðr	adj	glad, bright	ASD
	gleða	n	glede, kite	ASD
	gler	n	glass	ASD
	glossa	vb	to glow	W7
	glōð	n.fem	gleed	ASD
	glögr	adj	wise, prudent, clear-sighted	ASD
	gull	n	gold	ASD
	gylla	vb	to gild	ASD
Norwegian:	glȳra	vb	to look askance	W7
Danish:	galde	n.masc/fem	gall	ASD
	glad	adj	glad	ASD
	glas	n	glass	TLL
	gul	adj	yellow	LRC
	guld	n	gold	TLL
	gulerod	n	carrot	TLL
Swedish:	galle	n.masc	gall	ASD
	glas	n	glass	TLL
	glinta	vb	to glide, slip	RPN
	glöd	n	ember	AHD
	glödga	vb	to mull (wine)	AHD
	glögg	n	glogg	AHD
	glänta	vb	to clear up	W7
	guld	n	gold	TLL
E-Germanic
Gothic:	figgra-gulþ	n.neut	ring, lit. finger-gold	GED
	glaggwus	adj	diligent	ASD
	glitmunjan	vb.wk.I	to shine, glitter	LRC
	*gulþ	n.neut	gold	GED/RPN
	*gulþeins	adj	golden	GED
Crimean Gothic:	*golþ/goltz	n	gold	CGo/GED
Italic
Latin:	arsenicum	n	arsenic	AHD
	chloritis	n.fem	a green stone	W7
	cholera	n.fem	bilious disease	W7
	fel, fellis	n.neut	gall	GED
	glabellus	adj	hairless, shaven	W7
	glaber, glabra, glabrum	adj	hairless, shaven	W7
	helvus	adj	light bay, (honey-)yellow	GED/RPN
Late Latin:	melancholia	n.fem	melancholy	W7
Medieval Latin:	fello	n.masc	villain, evildoer	W7
Old French:	arsenik	n	arsenic	AHD
	fel	n.masc	act of lying, cheating	W7
	felon	adj	liar, evildoer	W7
	glicier	vb	to slide	W7
Middle French:	colère	n.fem	anger	W7
	mélancolie	n.fem	melancholy	W7
French:	glissade	n.fem	action of sliding	W7
	glisser	vb	to slide	W7
Baltic
Lithuanian:	žãlas	adj	red	RPN
	žãlias	adj	green	GED/RPN
	žélti	vb	to become green	GED
	žìlas	adj	gray	RPN
	žlėjà	n	twilight	RPN
Slavic
Old Church Slavonic:	zelenъ	adj	green	GED/RPN
Albanian
Albanian:	dhelpër	n	fox, lit. yellow one	GED
Hellenic
Homeric Greek:	χόλος	n.masc	gall; wrath, anger	GED
	χολόω	vb	to anger, enrage	LRC
	χολωτός	adj	angry, wrathful	LRC
Greek:	arsenikon	n	yellow orpiment	AHD
	melancholia	n.fem	melancholy	W7
	chleuē	n.fem	joke	W7
	χλωρός	adj	greenish yellow	GED/RPN
	cholera	n.fem	cholera, bilious disease	W7
	χολή	n.fem	gall; wrath, anger	GED
Iranian
Old Iranian:	*zarna-	adj	golden	AHD
Old Persian:	daraniya	n	gold	GED
Middle Persian:	*zarnīk	n	yellow orpiment	AHD
Avestan:	zairina-	adj	green	GED
	zairis	adj	yellow	GED
	zaranya-	n	gold	RPN
Sogdian:	zyrn	n	gold	GED
Indic
Sanskrit:	háris	adj	yellow, tawny	GED/RPN
	híraṇya-ḥ	n	gold	RPN

Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:

Abbrev.		Meaning
I	=	class 1
adj	=	adjective
fem	=	feminine (gender)
intrans	=	intransitive
masc	=	masculine (gender)
n	=	noun
neut	=	neuter (gender)
pfx	=	prefix
prop	=	proper
str	=	strong (inflection)
trans	=	transitive
vb	=	verb
wk	=	weak (inflection)

Key to information Source codes (always with 'LRC' as editor):

Code		Citation
AHD	=	Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed. (2000)
ASD	=	Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898)
CGo	=	MacDonald Stearns, Jr: Crimean Gothic (1978)
GED	=	Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986)
ICE	=	Richard Cleasby and Gudbrand Vigfusson: An Icelandic-English Dictionary (1874)
IEW	=	Julius Pokorny: Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (1959)
KDW	=	Gerhard Köbler: Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 4th ed. (1993)
KNW	=	Gerhard Köbler: Altnordisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed. (2003)
LRC	=	Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin
ODE	=	C.T. Onions: The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (1966)
RPN	=	Allan R. Bomhard: Reconstructing Proto-Nostratic (2002)
TLL	=	Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944)
W7	=	Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963)

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