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*bʰeh₂-

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-Indo-European word *bʰeh₂-

*bʰeh₂-1 to shine

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

LIV sets up 1.*bʰeh₂- "to shine, to glow, to sparkle", and NIL lists the same root.[1][2] LIV notes that it is morphologically homonymous with 2.*bʰeh₂- "to speak, to say" and probably identical in origin, through "to make bright" and "to make clear".[1] Beekes also allows that the two may be one root.[3]

Morphology

LIV sets up an amphidynamic root present *bʰéh₂-/bʰh₂- in Sanskrit भाति (bhā́ti, “shines”), Young Avestan fra-uuāiti (“shines forth”), Hesychius' Ancient Greek φάντα (phánta, “shining”) and Upper Sorbian baju so (“I glimmer”), and a nasal-infix present *bʰ-né/n̥-h₂- in Old Armenian բանամ (banam, “I open”), Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “I show, I appear”) and Albanian bën (“makes, does”).[1] The whole Greek paradigm rests on the nasal present, except the gloss φάντα and one future form.[1] Kümmel adds a reduplicated present ?*bʰi-bʰéh₂-/bʰh₂- in Late Khotanese vīv- (“to shine”).[4]

Evidence

Indo-Iranian, Greek, Armenian, Albanian, Slavic, Celtic, Germanic and Tocharian are cited under Reflexes.[1][5][6][7] LIV's list has no Anatolian form.[1]

Competing analyses

NIL sets up *bʰoh₂-t- for Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs, “light”), whereas Beekes derives that word by contraction from Ancient Greek φάος (pháos, “light”) and calls a separate by-form *bhoh₂-s- superfluous.[2][8]

Meanings

  1. to shine, to glow, to sparkle[1]

Greek developed "to show, to make visible" and in the middle "to appear", and Armenian "to open".[1]

Derivatives

  • *bʰeh₂-no- "shining": Proto-Celtic *bāno- (“white, shining”).[5] Kroonen takes Proto-Germanic *bōnjan- (“to decorate”) as a factitive of an adjective *bʰoh₂-no-.[6]
  • *bʰah₂-nú-: Sanskrit भानु (bhānú-, “light, splendour”), Avestan bānu- (“splendour”).[2][9]
  • Ancient Greek φάος (pháos, “light”), from a thematic aorist with *bhh₂-u-.[8]
  • Tocharian *pāte, from *bʰehₐto-, in Tocharian B erepate (“form”).[7]

Reflexes

  • Indo-Aryan, after LIV: Sanskrit भाति (bhā́ti, “shines”).[1]
  • Greek: Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, to appear”).[9]
  • Armenian, after LIV: Old Armenian բանամ (banam, “I open”).[1]
  • Albanian, after LIV: Albanian bëj (“to make, to do”).[1]
  • Celtic: Old Irish bán (“white”).[5]
  • Germanic: Old English bōnian (“to ornament”).[6]
  • Tocharian: Tocharian B erepate (“form”).[7]

*bʰeh₂-2 to speak, say

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

LIV sets up 2.*bʰeh₂- "to speak, to say".[10] De Vaan and Beekes reconstruct a root present *bheh₂-/*bhh₂-.[11][3]

Morphology

LIV's amphidynamic root present *bʰéh₂-/bʰh₂- is continued in Old Armenian բայ (bay, “says”), Ancient Greek φημί (phēmí, “I say”), Latin for (“to speak”), perhaps Old English bō(ia)n (“to boast”), and Old East Slavic баяти (bajati, “to tell; to enchant”).[10] LIV also lists a doubtful nasal present in Sanskrit भणति (bhánati, “speaks”), a doubtful s-desiderative in a Greek future, and the innovated -sk- form Ancient Greek ἔφασκον (éphaskon, “said”).[10] The Armenian verb only introduces direct speech.[10]

Evidence

Armenian, Greek, Italic, Slavic and Germanic are cited under Reflexes, with Indo-Aryan if the Vedic verb belongs here.[10][12]

Competing analyses

LIV takes the Vedic verb from a thematized *bʰn̥éh₂-, and allows a parallel root *bʰen(H)- that could also underlie Old High German bannan (“to summon”).[10] Kroonen derives Proto-Germanic *bannan- (“to command, to summon”) from an o-grade intensive *bʰó-n-h₂-e- of this root, and Sanskrit भणति (bhánati) from *bʰénh₂-e-.[12] LIV cites Seebold for connecting the Old English verb with *g̑ʰu̯eH- "to call" instead.[10]

Meanings

  1. to speak, to say[10]

In Slavic the verb came to mean "to tell fables" and "to practise sorcery".[13]

Derivatives

  • *bʰh₂-ti- in Old Armenian բայ (bay, “speech, word”), compare Ancient Greek φάτις (phátis, “report, rumour”).[14]
  • *bheh₂-mo/h₂- "speech" in Latin fāma (“rumour”), matching Ancient Greek φήμη (phḗmē, “rumour”).[11][3]
  • *bhe/oh₂-ni- in Old Armenian բան (ban, “word, speech”), Old Norse bǿn (“request, prayer”) and Old English bēn (“request, prayer”).[3]

Reflexes

  • Armenian: Old Armenian բամ (bam, “to speak, to say”).[14]
  • Greek: Ancient Greek φημί (phēmí, “to say”).[3]
  • Italic: Latin for (“to speak”).[11]
  • Germanic: Proto-Germanic *bannan- (“to command, to summon”).[12]
  • Slavic: Proto-Slavic *bàjati (“to tell”).[13]
  • Indo-Aryan, after LIV: Sanskrit भणति (bhánati, “speaks”).[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 1.*bʰeh₂-
  2. ^ a b c Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. bʰeh₂-
  3. ^ a b c d e 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. φημί
  4. ^ Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 11
  5. ^ a b c Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 55
  6. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 72
  7. ^ a b c Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 99
  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. φάος
  9. ^ 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. φαίνω
  10. ^ 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. 2.*bʰeh₂-
  11. ^ 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. for
  12. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 52
  13. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 33
  14. ^ a b Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 179

Descendants

Cite this entry

“*bʰeh₂-.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ine-pro/*b%CA%B0eh%E2%82%82-. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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