The University of Texas at Austin; College of Liberal Arts

Hans C. Boas, Director :: PCL 5.556, 1 University Station S5490 :: Austin, TX 78712 :: 512-471-4566

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.

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 and fonts spanning the Unicode 3 character set relevant to Indo-European languages. Versions of this page rendered in alternate character sets are available via links (see Unicode 2 and ISO-8859-1) in the left margin.

Pokorny Etymon: ag̑- 'to lead, drive, agitate'

Semantic Fields: to Lead; to Drive

Indo-European Reflexes:

Family/Language	Reflex(es)	PoS/Gram.	Gloss	Source(s)
Celtic
Old Irish:	ag-	vb	to conduct	GED
	ār	vb	to slaughter	GED
	imm-agim	vb	to send about	GED
	Ogma	prop.n	god who invented ogham (Celtic mythology)	AHD
Middle Irish:	ogom/ogum	n	ogham	W7
Irish:	ogham	n.masc	ogham	W7
Old Welsh:	agit	vb	to go	LRC
Welsh:	amaeth	n	husbandman	GED
Gaulish:	amb	n.masc	highly ranked servant (not a slave)	GED
English
Old English:	ac(h)/ah/oc	conj	but, and, however	ASD
	ambeht	n.str.masc	servant	GED
	ambeht	n.str.neut	office	GED
	ambihtian	vb.wk	to serve	GED
	e(a)x/æx	n.fem	axis, axle	W7/ASD
	eaxl(e)/eaxel/ex(e)l	n.fem	shoulder	W7/ASD/CDC
Middle English:	ac	conj	but	MEV
	act	n	act, deed	W7
	active	adj	active	W7
	actour	n	actor	AHD
	actuel	adj	actual	W7
	agent	n	agent	W7
	agonie	n	agony	W7
	alleggen	vb	to allege	W7
	ambages	n	ambage	W7
	ambassadour	n	ambassador	W7
	assay/assai/asaye/asaie	n	assay	W7/CDC
	axel/axil/æxl/exl	n	axle	CDC
	axeltre	n	axletree	W7
	axiom	n	axiom	AHD
	axis	n	axis	AHD
	ele	n	aisle, wing of building	AHD
	exacten	vb	to exact	W7
	examinen	vb	to examine	W7
	ile	n	aisle	W7
	pedagoge	n	pedagogue	W7
	squatten	vb	to squat	W7
	synagoge	n	synagogue	W7
English:	act	n	deed; statute; affectation	AHD/W7
	act	vb	to feign, perform, simulate, represent	W7
	action	n	deed, doing of a thing	TLL
	active	adj	lively, characterized by movement	AHD/W7
	actor	n	doer, one who acts (e.g. part in play)	AHD/W7
	actress	n	doer, female who acts (e.g. part in play)	W7
	actual	adj	real, true; current	AHD/W7
	actuary	n	clerk, registrar	AHD/W7
	actuate	vb.trans	to put into action/motion	AHD/W7
	agendum, agenda	n	program, list/plan/outline of events	AHD/W7
	agent	n	doer; means; representative	AHD/W7
	agile	adj	nimble, able to move quickly/easily	AHD/W7
	agitate	vb	to excite, disturb, give motion to	AHD/W7
	-agogue	n.sfx	substance promoting secretion/expulsion	AHD/W7
	agony	n	torture, anguish, intense pain in mind/body	AHD/W7
	aileron	n	moveable part of airplane wing	AHD/W7
	aisle	n	passage between seat rows	AHD/W7
	ala, alae	n	wing, winglike part/structure	AHD/W7
	alar	adj	alary	AHD
	alary	adj	re: wings	AHD
	alate(d)	adj	having alae	AHD/W7
	aliform	adj	wing-shaped, having winglike extension(s)	AHD/W7
	allege	vb.trans	to assert/declare without proof	AHD/W7
	alula	n	bastard wing: bird's thumb	AHD/W7
	ambage	n	ambiguity, circumlocution	AHD/W7
	ambassador	n	official envoy, esp. foreign government representative	AHD/W7
	ambiguous	adj	doubtful, unclear, equivocal	AHD/W7
	anagoge	n	mystical reading of text	AHD/W7
	antagonize	vb.trans	to act against, provoke hostility in	AHD/W7
	assay	n	test, trial, effort, attempt; scrutiny	AHD/W7
	axilla	n	armpit	AHD/W7
	axiology	n	study of values/valuation	AHD/W7
	axiom	n	common maxim, well-accepted truth	AHD/W7
	axis	n	line about which something rotates	AHD/W7
	axle	n	shaft around which wheel turns	AHD/W7
	axletree	n	fixed bar/beam with bearings for wheels	AHD/W7
	axon	n	nerve-cell process	AHD/W7
	axoneme	n	cytoskeletal structure in cilium	AHD
	axoplasm	n	axon's intracellular cytoplasm	AHD
	cache	n	hiding-place, something hidden	AHD/W7
	choragus	n	leader of choir/chorus	AHD/W7
	chronaxie	n	a certain electric excitation time	AHD/W7
	coagulum	n	coagulated mass/substance	AHD/W7
	cogent	adj	compelling, convincing	AHD/W7
	demagogue	n	leader who champions the plebs	AHD/W7
	embassage	n	embassy, message/commission entrusted to ambassador	AHD/W7
	embassy	n	official position/residence of ambassador	AHD/W7
	emmenagogue	n	catalyst of menstrual discharge	AHD/W7
	epact	n	lunisolar intercalary period	AHD/W7
	essay	n	effort; literary composition	AHD/W7
	exact	adj	precise	AHD/W7
	exact	vb.trans	to draw out from, extort	AHD/W7
	examine	vb.trans	to test/inspect closely	AHD/W7
	exigent	adj	requiring drastic/immediate action	AHD/W7
	exiguous	adj	scanty in amount	AHD/W7
	fumigate	vb.trans	to apply smoke/gas to	AHD/W7
	fustigate	vb.trans	to cudgel; criticize severely	AHD/W7
	glucagon	n	pancreatic hormone	AHD
	hypnagogic	adj	relating to drowsiness before sleep	AHD/W7
	intransigent	adj	uncompromising, irreconcilable	AHD/W7
	levigate	vb.trans	to polish, smooth	AHD/W7
	litigate	vb	to wage legal contest	AHD/W7
	mystagogue	n	disseminator of mystical doctrines	AHD/W7
	navigate	vb	to steer through water/other medium	AHD/W7
	objurgate	vb.trans	to denounce harshly	AHD/W7
	ogham	n	5th-6th century Irish alphabet of notches	AHD/W7
	pedagogue	n	teacher, schoolmaster	AHD/W7
	protagonist	n	leading/sympathetic role in story	AHD/W7
	redact	vb	to frame, draw up, write down	AHD
	retroactive	adj	extending in scope/effect to a prior time	AHD/W7
	squat	vb	to sit/crouch over ground	AHD/W7
	stratagem	n	clever trick/artifice of war	AHD/W7
	strategist	n	one skilled in strategy	W7
	strategy	n	art/science of military command	W7
	synagogue	n	Jewish congregation/house of worship	AHD/W7
	transact	vb	to carry out, perform	AHD/W7
	variegate	vb.trans	to diversify in external appearance	AHD/W7
British English:	antagonise	vb.trans	to antagonize	LRC
W-Germanic
Old Frisian:	ax(e)le	n.fem	shoulder	ASD
Dutch:	as	n.fem	axis, axle	ASD
Old Saxon:	ahsla	n.fem	shoulder	ASD
	ambahteo	n.masc	servant	GED
	ambahtman	n.masc	servant	GED
	ambaht-skepi	n.masc	service	GED
	ambaht-skipi	n.masc	service	GED
Old High German:	ahsa	n.fem	axis, axle	ASD
	ahsala	n.fem	shoulder	ASD
	ambaht/ampaht	n.str.masc	servant	GED/ASD
	ambahtēn	vb.wk	to serve	GED
	ambaht(i)	n.str.neut	office	GED
Middle High German:	ahse	n.fem	axis, axle	ASD
	ahsel	n.fem	shoulder	ASD
German:	Achse/Axe	n.fem	axis, axle	ASD
	Achsel	n.fem	shoulder	ASD
	agitieren	vb	to campaign, agitate	LRC
N-Germanic
Old Norse:	aka	vb	to travel in vehicle	W7
	ambátt	n.fem	servant	ASD
	öxull	n	axle	AHD
	öxultrē	n	axletree	W7
Old Icelandic:	aka	vb	to lead, drive, travel in wagon	GED
	ambātt	n.str.fem	maid, concubine	GED
	embætta	vb.wk	to wait on	GED
	embætti	n.str.neut	service, office	GED
Icelandic:	axull/öxull	n.masc	axis, axle	ASD
	öxl	n.fem	shoulder	ASD
	öxul-trē	n.neut	axle-tree	ASD
Norwegian:	oksl/aksl/axel	n	shoulder	CDC
Danish:	axe	n.masc/fem	axis, axle	ASD
	axel	n.masc/fem	shoulder	ASD
Swedish:	axel	n.masc	axis, axle, shoulder	ASD
E-Germanic
Gothic:	amsa	n.masc	shoulder	ASD
	andbahts	n.masc	servant	GED
Italic
Oscan:	acum	vb	to drive	LRC
Latin:	acta, actōrum	n.masc	act, deed, record	AHD/CLD
	activus	adj	active	W7
	actor, actōris	n.masc	actor, driver, manager	AHD/CLD
	actuarius	n.masc	actuary, shorthand writer	W7
	actum	n.neut	act, record, thing done	W7
	actus, actūs	n.masc	doing; gesture, expression	LRC
	agens, agentis	adj/vb.ptc	effective; acting	W7
	agilis	adj	agile	W7
	agitō, agitāre, agitāvī, agitatus	vb.freq	to move, impel, agitate	W7/ELD
	agō, agere, ēgī, āctum	vb	to do, act, lead, drive	LRC
	āla	n.fem	ala; axle	TLL
	allego, allegāre	vb	to cite, allege, dispatch	W7
	alula	n.dim	alula, little wing	W7
	ambactus, ambacti	n.masc	vassal, servant; dependent	AHD/CLD
	*ambāges	n.fem	delay, detour, circumlocution	W7/CLD
	ambigo, ambigere	vb	to dispute, hesitate, wander about	W7
	ambiguus	adj	ambiguous	W7
	axilla	n.fem	armpit	W7
	axioma	n.masc	axiom	W7
	axis/assis	n.masc	axis, axle	W7
	axle	n	axle, axis	CDC
	choragus	n.masc	person in charge of paying for choral production	W7
	coactō, coactāre, coēgī, coactus	vb	to compel, press together	W7
	coagulum	n.neut	curdling agent	W7
	cōgō, cōgere	vb	to compel, drive together	W7
	exāmen	n.neut	examination	W7
	exāminō, exāmināre	vb	to examine	W7
	exigō, exigere, exactus	vb	to demand, measure, drive out	W7
	exiguus	adj	very small	W7
	fumigo, fumigare, fumigavi, fumigatus	vb	to fumigate	W7
	jurgo, jurgāre	vb	to quarrel, take to law	W7
	lego, legāre	vb	to bequeath, depute, send as emissary	W7
	litigo, litigāre, litigāvī, litigatus	vb	to sue, dispute, litigate	W7
	mystagogus	n.masc	mystagogue, initiator	W7
	navigo, navigare, navigavī, navigatus	vb	to navigate	W7
	objurgō, objurgāre, objurgāvī, objurgatus	vb	to blame, punish, objurgate	W7
	paedagogus	n.masc	pedagogue	W7
	retroago, retroagere	vb	to reverse, drive back	W7
	transigo, transigere, transegi, transactus	vb	to transact, complete, drive through	W7
	variego, variegare, variegavi, variegatus	vb	to vary, variegate	W7
Vulgar Latin:	coactico, coacticare	vb	to press together	W7
	coatio, coactīre	vb	to press together	W7
Late Latin:	actualis	adj	actual	W7
	-agogus	sfx	promoting expulsion	W7
	agonia	n.fem	agony	W7
	anagoge	n.fem	anagoge, initiation, education	W7
	epacta	n.fem	an intercalar period added to the calendar	W7
	exagium	n.neut	act of weighing	W7
	*exlītigāre	vb	to clear at law	AHD
	fustigatus	vb.ptc	fustigated, criticized	W7
	fustigo, fustigāre	vb	to fustigate, criticize severely	W7
	synagoga	n.fem	synagogue	W7
Middle Latin:	assagium/assaia	n	trial, assay	CDC
	essagium/essayum	n	essay, examination	CDC
Medieval Latin:	actuo, actuare, actuavi, actuatus	vb	to actuate	W7
	ambactia	n	mission, embassy, legation	AHD
New Latin:	-agogon	sfx	-agogue, who teaches	W7
	-agogue	sfx	-agogue, who teaches	W7
	axon	n.neut	axon; wooden cube bearing Greek laws	W7
Portuguese:	ala	n	wing	TLL
	ensaio	n	trial	CDC
Spanish:	ala	n	wing	TLL
	asayo	n	assay	CDC
	ensayo	n	trial	CDC
	intransigente	adj	intransigent, not making any concessions	W7
	transigente	vb.pres.ptc	tractable, making compromises	W7
	transigir	vb	to compromise	W7
Catalan:	assatg	n	assay	CDC
	ensatg	n	trial	CDC
Old French:	acte	n	act	AHD
	actual	adj	active, actual	AHD
	agonie	n	agony	AHD
	aile	n	wing	AHD
	alegier	vb	to justify, vindicate	AHD
	alleguer	vb	to allege, pretend	W7
	ambassadeur	n	ambassador	AHD
	assai	n.masc	assay	W7
	axiome	n	axiom	AHD
	ele	n	aisle, wing of building	AHD
	eslegier	vb	to pay a fine	AHD
	essai	n.masc	essay	W7
	synagoge	n.fem	synagogue	W7
Middle French:	actif	adj	active	W7
	actuel	adj	actual	W7
	agile	adj	agile	W7
	ambages	n.masc	delays, detours, circumlocutions	W7
	epacte	n.fem	epact	W7
	esquatir	vb	to squat	W7
	essai	n.masc	tentative	W7
	examiner	vb	to examine	W7
	pédagoge	n.masc	pedagogue	W7
French:	agile	adj	agile	AHD
	-agogue	n.sfx	teaching	W7
	aile	n	wing	TLL
	aileron	n.dim	aileron	AHD
	ambassade	n.fem	embassy	GED
	cache	n.fem	a hideout	W7
	cacher	vb	to hide	W7
	chronaxie	n.fem	time needed to stimulate nervous/muscular tissue with electricity	W7/R1
	hypnagogique	adj	hypnagogic, inducing sleep	W7
	quatir	vb	to press	W7
	rétroactif	adj	retroactive	W7
Old Occitan:	assai/assag	n	assay	CDC
	essai	n	essay	CDC
Italian:	ala	n	wing	TLL
	(as)saggio	n	assay	CDC
	stratagèmma	n.masc	trick, stratagem	W7
Baltic
Lithuanian:	aszis	n.fem	axis, axle	ASD
Hellenic
Greek:	ἀγείρω	vb	to assemble	GED
	ἄγω	vb	to lead, drive	GED
	-agōgos, -agōgon	adj.sfx	leading, inducing; expelling	W7
	agōgos	adj	leading	W7
	agōn	n.masc	fight, competition	W7
	agōnia	n.fem	anguish, struggle	W7
	agōnizesthai	vb	to compete	W7
	agōnistēs	n.masc	actor, competitor	W7
	ἀνάγω	vb	to refer, lead up	LRC
	anagōgē	n.fem	anagoge, reference	W7
	antagōnizestyai	vb	to compete, antagonize	W7
	axia	n.fem	value	W7
	axios	adj	worthy, sufficient	W7
	axioun	vb	to think worthy	W7
	axiōma	n.neut	honor	W7
	axōn	n.masc	axle	W7
	dēmagōgos	n.masc	orator	W7
	ἐπάγω	vb	to invite, bring in, intercalate	LRC
	epaktos	adj	foreign, alien	W7
	mystagōgos	n.masc	mystagogue, initiator	W7
	paidagōgos	n.masc	pedagogue	W7
	προάγω	vb	to proceed, go before	LRC
	prōtagōnistēs	n.masc	character, competitor	W7
	stratēgein	vb	to maneuver, be a general	W7
	stratēgēma	n.neut	strategem, war maneuver, guile in war	W7
	stratēgos	n.masc	general, strategist	W7
	synagein	vb	to bring together	W7
	συνάγω	vb	to bring together	LRC
	synagōgē	n.fem	synagogue, assembly	W7
	ὑπάγω	vb	to lead on, retire	LRC
	chorēgos	n.masc	choragus	W7
Late Greek:	anagōgē	n	anagoge	W7
Armenian
Classical Armenian:	artakʿs	adv	out	LRC
Armenian:	acem	vb	to lead	GED
Iranian
Avestan:	azaiti	vb	to drive	GED
Indic
Sanskrit:	aksha	n	wheel, axle	ASD
	ájati	vb	to drive	GED
Tocharian
Tokharian:	āk-	vb	to lead, travel	GED

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

Abbrev.		Meaning
adj	=	adjective
adv	=	adverb(ial)
conj	=	conjunction
dim	=	diminutive
fem	=	feminine (gender)
freq	=	frequentative (aspect)
masc	=	masculine (gender)
n	=	noun
neut	=	neuter (gender)
pres	=	present (tense)
prop	=	proper
ptc	=	participle
sfx	=	suffix
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)
CDC	=	W.D. Whitney and B.E. Smith: The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia (1889-1911)
CLD	=	Cassell's Latin Dictionary (1959, rev. 1968)
ELD	=	Charlton T. Lewis: An Elementary Latin Dictionary (1999)
GED	=	Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986)
LRC	=	Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin
MEV	=	J.R.R. Tolkien: A Middle English Vocabulary (1922)
R1	=	Josette Rey-Debove and Alain Rey, eds. Le Nouveau Petit Robert (1993)
TLL	=	Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944)
W7	=	Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963)

Nearby etyma: previous | next