*terh₁-

Reconstruction

LIV sets up *terh₁- 'to bore, to rub',^[1] and Beekes, de Vaan and Matasović use the same form.^[2][3][4] Derksen writes *terH-,^[5] and Beekes, under Ancient Greek τείρω (teírō), leaves the laryngeal open as *terh₁/₃-.^[6] Kroonen treats *treh₁-, behind Proto-Germanic *þrēan- (“to turn”), as a variant of *terh₁-.^[7]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs an amphidynamic root present *térh₁-/tr̥h₁-, continued in Ancient Greek τείρω (teírō), Latin terō, Lithuanian tìrti and Old Church Slavonic тръти (trŭti); the s-aorists of Greek and Slavic are later.^[1] Kümmel adds the Khotanese present ustarändä (“they remove”) and a Shughni simplex meaning 'to clean'.^[8]

Evidence

Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic and Iranian are cited under Reflexes.^[1][8] Kloekhorst connects Hittite tarma- (“nail, peg”) with Ancient Greek τόρμος (tórmos) and reconstructs *tormo-, while Kimball assumes the root *terh₁- for it.^[9]

Competing analyses

LIV argues from the meaning that the root formed a present rather than an aorist, against Harðarson.^[1] De Vaan reconstructs an athematic present *térh₁-i-/*trh₁-éi-, and thinks the Latin present goes back at most to a root present or, more likely, a root aorist.^[3] He derives the Latin perfect trīvī from *treh₁-i-,^[3] while LIV takes it as built on the past participle, from a different root.^[1]

Meanings

1. to bore, to rub^[1]

Lithuanian Tìrti (“to investigate”) comes from 'to bore further by questions'.^[1] Ancient Greek τείρω (teírō) means 'to oppress, distress, weaken'.^[3]

Derivatives

• *térh₁-tro- 'auger': Ancient Greek τέρετρον (téretron), Old Irish tarathar.^[2][4]
• *tr̥h₁-tó-: Ancient Greek τρητός (trētós, “bored through”).^[1]
• *tórmos 'borehole': Ancient Greek τόρμος (tórmos), Proto-Germanic *þarmaz (“intestine”).^[10]

Reflexes

• Anatolian: Hittite tarma- (“nail, peg”), if it belongs here.^[9]
• Iranian: Khotanese ustarändä (“they remove”).^[8]
• Greek: Ancient Greek τείρω (teírō, “to oppress, distress, weaken”), Ancient Greek τέρετρον (téretron, “auger”).^[6][2]
• Italic: Latin terō (“to rub”), Latin terebra (“drill”).^[3]
• Celtic: Proto-Celtic *taratro- (“auger”).^[4]
• Germanic: Proto-Germanic *þrēan- (“to turn”), from the variant *treh₁-.^[7]
• Baltic: Lithuanian tìrti (“to investigate”).^[11]
• Slavic: Proto-Slavic *tèrti (“to rub”).^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. *terh₁-
2. ^ a b c 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. τέρετρον
3. ^ a b c d e 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. terō
4. ^ a b c Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 381
5. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 491
6. ^ 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. τείρω
7. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 546
8. ^ a b c Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 90
9. ^ a b Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 844
10. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
11. ^ Hock, Wolfgang, et al. (2015), Altlitauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (ALEW), online and Hamburg: Baar, p. s.v. tìrti