*wekʷ-

Reconstruction

LIV writes the root *u̯ekʷ- 'to say',^[1] Lundquist and Yates *wekʷ- 'say',^[2] Mallory and Adams *wekʷ- 'speak',^[3] and Beekes *uekw- 'speak'.^[4]

Morphology

LIV sets up a root aorist ?*u̯ékʷ-/ukʷ- on the evidence of Old Avestan ūcąm, a reduplicated thematic aorist *u̯é-u̯kʷ-e-, an i-reduplicated athematic present *u̯i-u̯ékʷ/u̯kʷ- and a perfect *u̯e-u̯ókʷ/u̯kʷ-.^[1] In LIV's view the reduplicated aorist had probably replaced a root aorist already in late PIE.^[1] Lundquist and Yates note that LIV reconstructs the reduplicated thematic aorist for only 18 roots, five of them secure, and give this root's *we-ukʷ-e-t 'said' as an example, continued in Vedic वोचत् (vócat), Avestan -vaocat̰ and Greek εἶπε (eîpe).^[2] Fortson gives *u̯e-ukw-e- 'spoke' as a reduplicated thematic aorist reconstructible for PIE, with εἶπον dissimilated from *(w)eũpon.^[5] Ringe, who writes *wé-wk-e/o-, is less certain that reduplicated thematic aorists existed.^[6]

Evidence

LIV's verbal forms come from Indo-Iranian, Greek and, doubtfully, Germanic; nouns and secondary verbs add Italic, Celtic and Armenian.^[1][7][8][9] LIV cites no Anatolian or Tocharian form.^[1]

Competing analyses

LIV takes Old High German gi-wuog (“mentioned”) as perhaps a new preterite to a present that grew out of the perfect,^[1] whereas Kroonen derives Germanic *wahan- (“to remark”) from an o-grade present *uókʷ-e-.^[10] LIV assigns Greek ἐνίσσω (enī́ssō) to another root, 2.*sekʷ-.^[1]

Meanings

1. to say,^[1] to speak^[4][3]

In Armenian the verb means 'to shout, to cry out'.^[9] Matasović considers a Welsh development from 'speech' to 'face' complex but possible.^[8]

Derivatives

• *u̯ōkʷ-s, *u̯okʷ-m 'voice', in Latin vōx, Sanskrit वाच् (vā́c-) and Greek ὄψ (óps).^[7][4]
• *uékʷ-os- 'word', in Elean ϝέπος (wépos), Sanskrit वचस् (vácas-) and Avestan vacah-.^[11]
• *uokʷ-tlo- 'word', in Old Irish focal.^[10] Matasović sets up Proto-Celtic *woxtlo- (“word”).^[8]
• *u̯okw-i̯e-, in Armenian գոչեմ (gočʿem).^[9]

Reflexes

• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit विवक्ति (vívakti, “speaks”), as listed by LIV.^[1]
• Iranian: Avestan vaoc- (“to say”).^[12]
• Greek: Ancient Greek εἶπον (eîpon, “I said”), Ancient Greek ἔπος (épos, “word”).^[11]
• Armenian: Old Armenian գոչեմ (gočʿem, “to shout, to call out”).^[9]
• Italic: Latin vōx (“voice”).^[7]
• Celtic: Proto-Celtic *woxtlo- (“word”).^[8]
• Germanic: Proto-Germanic *wahan- (“to remark”).^[10]

References

1. ^ 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. *u̯ekʷ-
2. ^ a b Klein, Jared; Joseph, Brian; Fritz, Matthias, eds. (2017–2018), Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics, 3 vols (HSK 41), Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, p. 2166, ch. 122, Lundquist & Yates
3. ^ a b Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World, Oxford: OUP, p. 353
4. ^ 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. ὄψ
5. ^ Fortson, Benjamin W., IV (2010), Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Malden, MA / Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, p. ch. 5
6. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ 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. vōx
8. ^ a b c d Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 422
9. ^ a b c d Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 239
10. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *wahan-
11. ^ 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. ἔπος
12. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007), Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb, Leiden: Brill, p. 427