*weǵʰ-

Reconstruction

LIV writes the root *u̯eg̑ʰ- "to float; to drive".^[1] Beekes, de Vaan and Kroonen write *ueǵh-, and Matasović *weǵʰ-.^[2][3][4][5] The thematic present is *uéǵʰ-e- and the o-grade appears in *uoǵh-no- "wagon".^[4][6]

Morphology

LIV sets up a doubtful amphidynamic root present, surviving only as relics in Vedic, a thematic present *u̯ég̑ʰ-e-, in Sanskrit वहति (váhati), Latin vehō, Lithuanian vèžti and Old Church Slavonic вести (vesti), a reduplicated present for Sanskrit ऊहति (ū́hati, “pushes”), a sigmatic aorist *u̯ḗg̑ʰ/u̯ég̑ʰ-s-, in Cypriot ἔϝεξε (éwexe), and a causative-iterative *u̯og̑ʰ-éi̯e-, in Ancient Greek ὀχέομαι (okhéomai) and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wagjan).^[1] The thematic present may first have been the subjunctive of the root present, but if so it was already independent in PIE.^[1] Kümmel deletes Pamphylian ϝεχέτω (wekhétō) from LIV's evidence for the present.^[7] Beekes still equates the Pamphylian form with a Latin imperative.^[2]

Evidence

LIV lists forms from Indo-Iranian, Greek, Italic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic, Albanian and Tocharian.^[1] Greek keeps only traces of the verb.^[2] The Vedic verb may also continue *u̯edʰ- "to lead", as its sense "to marry" suggests.^[1] The active Ancient Greek ὀχέω (okhéō) must belong at least partly to *seg̑ʰ-.^[1] For Anatolian, Kümmel notes that the Hieroglyphic Luwian verb seems rather to mean "to lead", so that its etymology stays uncertain.^[7] Beekes calls Tocharian B "to stir" and Albanian vjedh (“to steal”) less certain.^[2]

Competing analyses

LIV puts Tocharian "to move, to twitch" here as a sk̑é-present *ug̑ʰ-sk̑é-, and Kroonen likewise derives it from *ueǵh-ske-.^[1][4] Adams instead derives Tocharian B wāsk- from a separate *wegʰ- "shake, set in motion", following Melchert, and not from *weĝʰ- "convey".^[8] Kümmel reports Melchert's second root too.^[7]

Meanings

1. to float^[1]
2. to drive, to ride (in a vehicle)^[1]

LIV follows Schlerath: the root meant "to float", which already in PIE became "to float on a wagon", then "to drive", and later transitive "to carry by vehicle".^[1] Beekes finds this doubtful.^[2] De Vaan glosses the root "to carry",^[3] and Mallory and Adams "bear, carry also ride".^[9] Kroonen connects it with transport by carts.^[4]

Derivatives

• Proto-Germanic *wagna- (“wagon”), from *uoǵh-no-.^[6]
• Proto-Celtic *wegno- (“wagon”), in Old Irish fén.^[5]
• Ancient Greek ὄχος (ókhos, “chariot, cart”).^[2]

Reflexes

• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit वहति (váhati, “drives, rides, draws”).^[10]
• Iranian: Avestan vaz- (“to move, to carry, to drive”).^[11]
• Greek: Ancient Greek ὄχος (ókhos, “cart, carriage, vehicle”).^[12]
• Italic: Latin vehō (“to carry”).^[3]
• Celtic: Old Irish fén (“wagon”).^[5]
• Germanic: Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gawigan, “to shake, to move”), Old Norse vega (“to move, to carry, to weigh”).^[4]
• Slavic: Old Church Slavonic вести (vesti, “to cart, to convey”).^[13]
• Baltic: Lithuanian vèžti (“to convey”).^[14]
• Albanian: Albanian vjedh (“to steal”).^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. *u̯eg̑ʰ-
2. ^ a b c d e f 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. ἔχω
3. ^ a b c 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. vehō
4. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 577
5. ^ a b c Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 421
6. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 565
7. ^ a b c Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 94
8. ^ Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 639
9. ^ Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World, Oxford: OUP, p. 405
10. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 177
11. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007), Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb, Leiden: Brill, p. 454
12. ^ 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. ὄχος
13. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 518
14. ^ Smoczyński, Wojciech (2018), Lithuanian Etymological Dictionary, Berlin: Peter Lang, p. 2211
15. ^ Orel, Vladimir (1998), Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden / Boston / Köln: Brill, p. s.v. vjedh