*wert-

Reconstruction

LIV writes the root *u̯ert- "to turn around", intransitive,^[1] as do de Vaan and Kloekhorst;^[2][3] Matasović and Adams write *wert-.^[4][5] The zero grade *urt- is set up for the Slavic verb,^[6] and the o-grade *u̯ort- in the causative.^[1]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a root aorist *u̯ért-/u̯r̥t-, in Sanskrit अवर्त् (ávart), a middle thematic present *u̯ért-e-, in Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate), Latin vertor and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌽 (wairþan), a causative-iterative *u̯ort-éi̯e-, in Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (frawardjan) and Old Church Slavonic вратити (vratiti), and a perfect *u̯e-u̯órt/u̯r̥t-.^[1] The transitive active forms are secondary to the middle in LIV's view.^[1] S-aorists and nasal presents in Greek, Slavic and Tocharian are later formations.^[1] In Italic the present was originally *wert- and the past participle *worsso-.^[2] De Vaan takes Latin oportet (“it is proper”) from *op "towards" and the perfect *ue-u(o)rt-, "it has turned toward someone".^[7]

Evidence

LIV lists forms from Indo-Iranian, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic and Tocharian.^[1] The only Anatolian candidate is a hapax, Hittite u̯art- (“to plait together”), used of horses' tails.^[3] Kloekhorst finds the connection with *u̯ert- appealing, but notes that the other languages use the root for "to turn (oneself)", not transitively.^[3] LIV marks Ancient Greek ἔρρω (érrhō, “to go away”) as doubtful,^[1] but Beekes follows Forssman in deriving it from *uert-ie/o- and the aorist Ancient Greek ἀπόερσε (apóerse, “swept away”) from *uert-s-.^[8]

Meanings

1. to turn around (intransitive)^[1]

In the present the root also meant "to turn, to roll", durative, according to LIV.^[1] In Germanic "to turn" became "to become", but Old High German wurst (“sausage”) may keep the older "to twist".^[9]

Derivatives

• *urt-to-, in Latin versus (“row, line, furrow”).^[10]
• Proto-Germanic *wardjan- (“to cause to degenerate”), from the causative *uort-éie-.^[11]
• Proto-Germanic *wurdi- (“fate, chance”), an i-stem *urt-i-.^[12]
• Proto-Celtic *writu- (“against”).^[13]
• Proto-Celtic *werto- (“worth, price”), which Matasović thinks probably belongs here if the starting point was "exchange".^[4]

Reflexes

• Anatolian: perhaps Hittite u̯art- (“to plait together”).^[3]
• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate, “turns, rolls, revolves”).^[14]
• Iranian: Avestan varət- (“to turn”).^[15]
• Greek: Ancient Greek ἀπόερσε (apóerse, “swept away”).^[8]
• Italic: Latin vertō (“to turn”).^[2]
• Celtic: Old Irish frith- (“against”).^[13]
• Germanic: Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌽 (wairþan, “to become, to happen”), Old English weorðan, Old High German werdan.^[9]
• Slavic: Old Church Slavonic врьтѣти (vrĭtěti, “to turn”), Old Church Slavonic вратити (vratiti, “to return, to turn”).^[6][16]
• Baltic: Lithuanian versti (“to fell, to turn over”).^[17]
• Albanian: Albanian rris (“to pull up, to grow”), which Orel takes from *writja.^[18]
• Tocharian: Tocharian B wärt- (“to turn”).^[5]

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. *u̯ert-
2. ^ 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. vertō
3. ^ a b c d Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 978
4. ^ a b Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 428
5. ^ a b Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 645
6. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 539
7. ^ 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. oportet
8. ^ 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. ἀπόερσε
9. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 581
10. ^ Derksen, Rick (2015), Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 505
11. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 574
12. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 600
13. ^ a b Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 444
14. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 154
15. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007), Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb, Leiden: Brill, p. 448
16. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 529
17. ^ Derksen, Rick (2015), Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 512
18. ^ Orel, Vladimir (1998), Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden / Boston / Köln: Brill, p. s.v. rris