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*h₁es-

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-Indo-European word *h₁es-

*h₁es-1 to be

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

The root is 1.*h₁es- "to be there, to be" in LIV,[1] and *h₁es- in NIL.[2] The initial laryngeal is shown, in LIV's view, by a Vedic negated participle "not being" from *n̥n̥-h₁sent-, and is suggested by Greek forms with the zero grade *es-.[1]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs an amphidynamic root present *h₁és-/h₁s- and a sk̑é-present *h₁s-sk̑é-, and counts the perfects of Vedic and Avestan as innovations.[1] Beekes gives the singular as *es-mi, *esi, *es-ti, the third plural with zero grade as *h₁s-enti, and the imperfect as *h₁e-h₁es-m, *h₁e-h₁es-t.[3] Kloekhorst derives the Hittite third singular and plural of eš- from *h₁és-ti, *h₁s-énti.[4] The sk̑é-present survives in Palaic, in Old Latin and in the Homeric iterative Ancient Greek ἔσκον (éskon, “I was”).[1][5]

Evidence

The root present is listed by LIV from Anatolian, Indo-Iranian, Armenian, Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic, Albanian and Tocharian.[1] Kloekhorst calls the etymology of the Hittite verb "fully clear".[4] LIV derives the Old Prussian and Slavic imperfects from forms of this root with b- taken from the suppletive *bʰu̯eh₂- "to become" (*bʰuH-).[1]

Competing analyses

Kümmel's addenda add that the root was originally the same as *h₁es- "to sit", though it may already have become a separate verb in PIE, following Kloekhorst.[6] Kloekhorst connects Hittite eš- (“to be (present)”) with the Old Hittite verb of the same shape "to sit, to be sitting".[4] Kümmel's addenda also renumber LIV's root "to sit", *h₁eh₁s-, as 3.*h₁es-.[6]

Meanings

  1. to be there, to be[1]

Derivatives

  • The participle *h₁s-ont-, *h₁s-n̥t-, in Hittite asānt-, Greek ὤν (ṓn) and Latin praesēns.[2]
  • The feminine *h₁s-n̥t-ih₂-, in Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌰 (sunja) and Old English synn.[2]
  • *h₁es-ri-, in Hittite ēšri- (“shape, image, statue”).[7]

Reflexes

  • Anatolian: Hittite eš- (“to be”).[4]
  • Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit अस्ति (ásti, “is”).[8]
  • Armenian: Old Armenian եմ (em, “to be”).[9]
  • Greek: Ancient Greek εἰμί (eimí, “to be”).[3]
  • Italic: Latin sum (“to be”).[10]
  • Celtic: Old Irish is (“is”).[11]
  • Baltic: Lithuanian ẽsti (“is”).[12]
  • Slavic: Old Church Slavonic есмь (jesmĭ, “I am”).[13]
  • Albanian: Albanian jam (“to be”).[14]

*h₁es-2 to throw, shoot

Confidence
Uncertain

Reconstruction

LIV sets up 2.*h₁es- "to throw, shoot".[15] The initial *h₁ rests on Hittite; if the Hittite verb does not belong here, the laryngeal cannot be determined.[15]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a root aorist *h₁és-/h₁s- and, with a question mark, a zero-grade i̯é-present *h₁s-i̯é-, and counts the Vedic perfect as an innovation.[15] If the Hittite verb is separated, LIV allows an old *h₁és-i̯e- for the Vedic present.[15]

Evidence

The root is found in Indo-Iranian, and perhaps in Anatolian and Tocharian.[15][16] LIV separates the Hittite verb "throws" from the one meaning "to press", following Kimball.[15] Oettinger instead derives it from *sh₁-i̯é-, and Melchert from 1.*seh₁i̯- "to let go".[15] LIV gives no reference to Pokorny for it.[15]

Meanings

  1. to throw, to shoot[15]

Reflexes

  • Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit अस्यति (ásyati, “throws”).[8]
  • Tocharian: perhaps Tocharian B yast, a verbal noun from this root in Adams's view.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 1.*h₁es-
  2. ^ a b c Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. *h₁es-
  3. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. εἰμί
  4. ^ a b c d Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 250
  5. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. ἔσκον
  6. ^ a b Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 36
  7. ^ Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 260
  8. ^ a b Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 67
  9. ^ Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 269
  10. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. sum
  11. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 120
  12. ^ Hock, Wolfgang, et al. (2015), Altlitauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (ALEW), online and Hamburg: Baar, p. s.v. ẽsti
  13. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 146
  14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (1998), Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden / Boston / Köln: Brill, p. s.v. jam
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 2.*h₁es-
  16. ^ a b Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 525

Descendants

Cite this entry

“*h₁es-.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ine-pro/*h%E2%82%81es-. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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