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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: 7. u̯el-, u̯elə-, u̯lē- 'to turn, wind; round, voluble'

Semantic Fields: to Turn; to Wind, Wrap; Round (adj)

Indo-European Reflexes:

Family/Language	Reflex(es)	PoS/Gram.	Gloss	Source(s)
English
Old English:	gewealc	n.neut	rolling, tossing	LRC
	stæð-weall	n.masc	shore-wall	LRC
	walu	n.fem	wale	W7
	wealcan	vb	to roll, toss	W7
	wealcian	vb	to roll up, muffle up	W7
	weall	n.masc	wall, rampart	LRC
	weallan	vb	to (cause to) well, boil, bubble	W7
	wealwian	vb	to roll	W7
	welig	n.masc	willow	W7
	weoloc	n.masc	whelk, shell-fish	W7
	wiella	n	well	W7
	wile-	n	weel, fishtrap	W2I
	wilige	n.fem	willy, basket	W2I/ASD
	wyllan	vb	to wish	W7
Northumbrian:	welle	n	well	W7
Middle English:	avalen	vb	to let fall	W7
	devolven	vb	to devolve	W7
	intervalle	n	interval	W7
	involven	vb	to involve, roll/wrap up	W7
	revolven	vb	to revolve	W7
	vale	n	vale	W7
	valen	vb	to vail, sink, reduce	W7
	valey	n	valley	W7
	volume	n	volume	W7
	voute	n	vault	W7
	wal	n	wale, choice	W7
	wale	n	wale, weal	W7
	walet	n	wallet	W7
	walken	vb	to walk	W7
	walkien	vb	to walk	W7
	wall	n	wall	W7
	walwen	vb	to wallow	W7
	welke	n	whelk	W7
	welle	n	well	W7
	wellen	vb	to well	W7
	welteren	vb	to roll, toss, turn over	W7
	wilghe	n	willow	W7
	wilowe	n	willow	W7
English:	anthelmintic	adj	expelling/destroying parasitic intestinal worms	AHD/W7
	archivolt	n	ornamental molding around arch	AHD/W7
	circumvolve	vb	to roll about, (cause to) revolve	AHD/CDC
	convolve	vb	to writhe, roll together	AHD/W7
	devolve	vb	to roll onward/downward	AHD/W7
	elecampane	n	coarse European composite herb	AHD/W7
	elytron	n	anterior wing protecting posterior wing	AHD/W7
	evolve	vb	to emit, give off	AHD/W7
	helicon	n	large circular bass tuba	AHD/W7
	helicopter	n	rotary-winged aircraft	AHD/W7
	helix	n	something spiral in form	AHD/W7
	helminth	n	worm	AHD/W7
	ileus	n	bowel obstruction	AHD/W7
	interval	n	pause, time between states/events	AHD/W7
	inulin	n	tasteless white polysaccharide	AHD/W7
	involucrum	n	surrounding sheath/envelope	AHD/W7
	involve	vb.trans	to enfold/envelop (thus encumber)	AHD/W7
	multivoltine	adj	producing several broods per season	AHD
	mycelium	n	interwoven filamentous hyphae mass	AHD/W7
	neurilemma	n	outer sheath of nerve fiber	AHD/W7
	platyhelminth	n	soft-bodied flattened worm	AHD/W7
	revolve	vb	to ponder, turn over in mind	AHD/W7
	vail	vb.trans	to lower (as sign of respect/submission)	AHD/W7
	vale	n	dale, valley	AHD/W7
	vallation	n	rampart, earthwork wall	AHD/W7
	valley	n	elongated depression between hills/mountains	AHD/W7
	valve	n	leaf of folding/double door	AHD/W7
	valvule	n	small valve/valvular structure	AHD/W7
	vault	n	arched (masonry) structure	AHD/W7
	vault	vb	to bound vigorously	AHD/W7
	volt	n	horse tread/gait: turning around center while going sideways	AHD/W7
	voluble	adj	rotating, easily rolling/turning	AHD/W7
	volume	n	scroll	AHD/W7
	volute	n	scroll/spiral-shaped form	AHD/W7
	volutin	n	granular basophilic substance in microorganisms	AHD/W7
	volva	n	membranous sac/cup in gill fungus	AHD/W7
	volvox	n	green flagellate in spherical colony	AHD/W7
	voussoir	n	wedge-shaped piece forming arch/vault	AHD/W7
	vulva	n	external part of female genital organs	AHD/W7
	wale	n	weal, welt, streak/ridge on skin	AHD/W7
	walk	vb	to roam/wander on foot	AHD/W7
	wall	n	long high thick rampart/enclosure	AHD/W7
	wallet	n	bag carrying miscellaneous travel articles	AHD/W7
	wallow	vb.intrans	to roll about in indolent/ungainly manner	AHD/W7
	waltz	n	round dance in 3/4 time	AHD/W7
	weel	n	slotted/wickerwork fishtrap	W2I
	well	n	pool fed by spring, water issuing from earth	AHD/W7
	well	vb	to pour forth, rise to surface	W7
	Wellinghall	prop.n	Ent dwelling behind waterfall in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings	LRC
	wellspring	n	fountainhead, source of supply	W7
	welter	vb.intrans	to toss, writhe	AHD/W7
	whelk	n	large marine snail	AHD/W7
	Whitwell	prop.n	Shire village in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings	LRC
	Willow	prop.n	evil old Shire tree in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings	LRC
	willow	n	tree/shrub in family Salicaceae	AHD/W7
	willy	n	large wicker basket	W2I
British English:	wale	n	choice	AHD/W7
W-Germanic
Old Frisian:	wal	n.masc	wall	ASD
	walla	vb	to well, spring out, bubble forth	ASD
Middle Dutch:	walken	vb	to knead, press, full	W7
	welteren	vb	to roll	W7
Dutch:	vallei	n	valley	TLL
	wilg	n	willow	TLL
Old Saxon:	wal	n.masc	wall	ASD
	wallan	vb	to well, boil, burn	ASD
Old High German:	ge-walchen	vb	to thicken, condense	ASD
	wala	n	wale, choice	W7
	wallan	vb	to well, bubble, grow hot	ASD
	walzan	vb	to turn, roll	W7
	wella	n	wave	W7
Middle High German:	wall	n	wall	W7
	wellen	vb	to (cause to) well	W7
	wilge	n	willow	W7
German:	Inulin	n	inulin	W7
	Volutin	n	volutin	W7
	walzen	vb	to roll, dance	W7
	Walzer	n.masc	waltz	W7
	Welle	n	wave	TLL
N-Germanic
Old Norse:	val	n	choice	W7
	valr	adj	round	W7
	völr	n	round stick	W7
Icelandic:	valka	vb.wk	to roll	ASD
Italic
Latin:	convolvo, convolvere	vb	to roll up/together	W7
	devolvo, devolvere	vb	to roll down	W7
	evolvo, evolvere	vb	to unroll	W7
	ileus	n.masc	intestinal osbtruction	W7
	intervallum	n.neut	interval, space between ramparts	W7
	inula	n.fem	elecampane (an herb)	W7
	involucrum	n.neut	involucrum	W7
	involvo, involvere	vb	to involve, wrap/roll in	W7
	revolvo, revolvere	vb	to revolve, roll back	W7
	valgus	adj	bow-legged	W7
	vallatus	vb.ptc	surrounded by walls	W7
	valles/vallis	n.fem	valley	W7
	vallum	n.neut	rampart	W7
	vallus	n.masc	stake, palisade	W7
	valva	n.fem	one battant of double door	W7
	volubilis	adj	volubile, talkative	W7
	volumen	n.neut	volume, roll of writing	W7
	voluta	n.fem	volute	W7
	volva/vulva	n.fem	covering, integument	W7
	volvō, volvere, volvī, volūtum	vb	to roll, undergo, turn around	LRC
	volvox	adj	rolling	W7
Vulgar Latin:	volsorium	n.neut	voussoir	W7
	volsus	vb.ptc	turned, vaulted	W7
	volvita	n.fem	turn, vault	W7
	volvito, volvitāre	vb	to turn, leap	W7
Late Latin:	vallatio, vallationis	n.fem	earthwork wall	W7
Medieval Latin:	archivoltum	n.neut	archivolt	W7
	enula	n.fem	elecampane (an herb)	W7
New Latin:	elytron	n.neut	sheath, wing cover	W7
	mycelium	n.neut	mycelium	W7
	neurilemma	n.neut	neurilemma	W7
	valva	n.fem	valve	W7
	valvula	n.fem.dim	small valve	W7
	volvox	n.masc	genus of green flagellates	W7
	vulva	n.fem	vulva	W7
Old French:	aval	n.masc	downward	W7
	avaler	vb	to swallow	W7
	val	n.masc	little valley	W7
	valee	n.fem	valley	W7
Middle French:	avaler	vb	to swallow, let fall	W7
	intervalle	n.masc	interval	W7
	valer	vb	to let fall	W7
	volter	vb	to turn	W7
	voluble	adj	rotating	W7
	volume	n.masc	book, volume	W7
	voûte	n.fem	vault	W7
French:	archivolte	n	archivolt	CDC
	hélice	n	helix, propeller	TLL
	hélicoptère	n.masc	helicopter	W7
	val	n.masc	valley	W7
	volte	n.fem	turn	W7
	voussoir	n.masc	voussoir	W7
Old Italian:	voltare	vb	to turn, leap	W7
Italian:	archivolto	n	archivolt	CDC
	vòlta	n.fem	turn, direction	W7
Baltic
Lithuanian:	vėl	adv	again	LRC
Latvian:	vēl	adv	still, yet	LRC
Hellenic
Homeric Greek:	ἑλιξ	n.fem	coil/spiral-shaped thing	LS
Greek:	εἰλεός	n.masc	ileus	LS
	εἰλέω	vb	to turn, wind, roll	LS
	εʼίλημα	n.neut	coil, wrapper, covering	LS
	ἑλῐκη	n.fem	coil, spiral, willow	LS
	ʽέλμινς	n.fem	(parasitic) worm	LS
	ἑ̑λος	n.masc	nail; wart, callus	LS
Indic
Sanskrit:	ulva	n	womb	W7

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

Abbrev.		Meaning
adj	=	adjective
adv	=	adverb(ial)
dim	=	diminutive
fem	=	feminine (gender)
intrans	=	intransitive
masc	=	masculine (gender)
n	=	noun
neut	=	neuter (gender)
prop	=	proper
ptc	=	participle
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)
CDC	=	W.D. Whitney and B.E. Smith: The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia (1889-1911)
LRC	=	Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin
LS	=	Liddell and Scott: Greek-English Lexicon, 7th-9th ed's (1882-1940), rev.
TLL	=	Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944)
W2I	=	Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language, 2nd ed. (1959)
W7	=	Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963)

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