*h₃ekʷ-

Reconstruction

LIV and NIL write the root *h₃ekʷ- 'to catch sight of, to consider',^[1][2] and Beekes *h₃ekw- 'see'.^[3] Sihler writes *H₃ekʷ-.^[4]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a zero-grade i̯é-present *h₃kʷ-i̯é-, a perfect *h₃e-h₃ókʷ/h₃kʷ-, an s-desiderative *h₃ékʷ/h₃kʷ-s- and a reduplicated sé-desiderative *h₃i-h₃kʷ-sé-.^[1] They are continued in Greek ὄσσομαι (óssomai), Ancient Greek ὄπωπα (ópōpa) and the future Ancient Greek ὄψομαι (ópsomai), and in Vedic ईक्षते (ī́kṣate, “perceives”), which no longer has a desiderative sense.^[1] Beekes calls ὄσσομαι an old yod-present from *h₃kw-ie/o-.^[3] LIV adds a root noun *h₃ékʷ- 'eye', mostly in the dual.^[1]

Evidence

The verb is found in Greek and Indo-Iranian; the noun 'eye' adds Armenian, Slavic, Baltic and Italic.^[1][5] NIL also lists Tocharian and Celtic derivatives.^[2] LIV and NIL cite no Anatolian form.^[1][2]

Competing analyses

de Vaan thinks the Latin formation oculus is probably not of PIE date, and derives it from the root noun, from a thematic *h₃okw-o- or from an earlier verb.^[5] Zair reports Hamp's derivation of British Celtic words for 'face' from *eni-h₃kʷo-, cognate with Sanskrit अनीक (ánīka-, “face, front”).^[6]

Meanings

1. to catch sight of, to consider,^[1] to see^[3]

In LIV's account the perfect 'has caught sight of' came to mean 'looks at'.^[1] Beekes notes that Ancient Greek ὄσσομαι (óssomai) developed a meaning different from Ancient Greek ὄπωπα (ópōpa) and Ancient Greek ὄψομαι (ópsomai).^[3]

Derivatives

• *h₃ekʷih₁ 'both eyes', the dual of the root noun, in Greek ὄσσε (ósse), which Beekes identifies with the Old Church Slavonic dual and Armenian աչք (ačʿkʿ).^[7]
• *h₃ekʷ-o-, in Old Church Slavonic око (oko, “eye”).^[8]
• *h₃e/okw-(e)lo-, in Latin oculus (“eye”).^[5]
• *h₃okʷ-men- in Greek ὄμμα (ómma), and *h₃kʷ-ti- in Ancient Greek ὄψις (ópsis).^[2]
• *-h₃kʷ- in compounds, such as Vedic न्यञ्च् (nyàñc-), according to NIL.^[2]

Reflexes

• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit ईक्षते (ī́kṣate, “perceives”), as listed by LIV.^[1]
• Greek: Ancient Greek ὄπωπα (ópōpa, “to watch, to observe”), Ancient Greek ὄσσε (ósse, “both eyes”).^[9][7]
• Armenian: Old Armenian աչք (ačʿkʿ, “eyes”).^[10]
• Slavic: Old Church Slavonic око (oko, “eye”).^[8]
• Baltic: Lithuanian akìs (“eye”).^[11]
• Italic: Latin oculus (“eye”).^[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. *h₃ekʷ-
2. ^ a b c d e Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. *h₃ekʷ-
3. ^ a b c d 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. ὄσσομαι
4. ^ Sihler, Andrew L. (1995), New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, New York: OUP
5. ^ a b c d 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. oculus
6. ^ Zair, Nicholas (2012), The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 261
7. ^ 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. ὄσσε
8. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 365
9. ^ 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. ὄπωπα
10. ^ Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 112
11. ^ Derksen, Rick (2015), Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 61