*sem-

Reconstruction

Beekes sets up *sem- 'one', with the nominative *sem-s.^[1] In his handbook he gives it a hysterodynamic paradigm: nominative *sōm, accusative *sém-m, genitive *sm-ós, dative *sm-éi.^[2] The feminine is *sm-ih₂.^[2][1] De Vaan writes *sm- 'one' for its use in compounds.^[3]

Morphology

Adams takes Tocharian B ṣe as the only direct reflex of the athematic inflection, from *sēm-s or *sem-s.^[4] Armenian generalised the feminine.^[1] Martirosyan reconstructs a Proto-Armenian masculine *hem- from *sem- beside a feminine *miya-.^[5] An ablauting variant is Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “one and the same”).^[1]

Evidence

Greek, Armenian and Tocharian provide the evidence for the stem, according to Beekes.^[2] Latin has it in compounds, and Gothic probably too.^[1] KEWA connects the Sanskrit words for 'one' in compounds and for 'same' with it.^[6] Beekes takes Hittite šī- (“one”) from a variant *si.^[2] Kloekhorst reconstructs it as *sih₂.^[7]

Competing analyses

Beekes notes that some Greek and Germanic forms require *sm̥H-o-, and de Vaan derives Latin similis from *smh₂-el-i-.^[8][9] The word for 'summer' is a different root, *semh₂-: Kroonen reconstructs it as *s(e)mH-, and Martirosyan prefers an accusative *smh₂er-m for the Armenian form.^[10][11]

Meanings

1. one^[1][3]

Beekes's handbook gives the range 'one, together, united'.^[2]

Derivatives

• *sm-ih₂, feminine: Ancient Greek μία (mía), Old Armenian մի (mi).^[1][2]
• *sm̥-per: Latin semper (“always”).^[3]
• Sanskrit सम (samá, “same, equal”).^[12][5]
• Gothic 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (sinteins, “daily”).^[1]

Reflexes

• Greek: Ancient Greek εἷς (heîs, “one”).^[1]
• Armenian: Old Armenian մի (mi, “one”).^[5]
• Tocharian: Tocharian B ṣe (“one”).^[4]
• Italic: Latin semper (“always”), Latin simplex (“having a single layer, simple”).^[3]
• Celtic: Old Irish emid (“as it were, nearly”).^[13]
• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit सम (samá, “same, equal”).^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. εἷς
2. ^ a b c d e f Beekes, Robert S. P. (2011), Comparative Indo-European Linguistics: An Introduction, 2nd ed., revised by Michiel de Vaan, Amsterdam: Benjamins, p. 262
3. ^ a b c d 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. sem
4. ^ a b Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 721
5. ^ a b c Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 481
6. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 434
7. ^ Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 750
8. ^ 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. ἁμο-
9. ^ 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. similis
10. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 491
11. ^ Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 60
12. ^ a b Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 436
13. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 340