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*sekʷ-

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

*sekʷ-1 to join, follow

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

LIV sets up two roots of this shape, 1.*sekʷ- "to join, attach oneself" and 2.*sekʷ- "to say".[1] The first is *sekw- in de Vaan, Kroonen and Ringe, who gloss it "to follow, accompany".[2][3][4] Wodtko's chapter of the Handbook writes it *sékᵘ̯-.[5]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a root aorist *sékʷ-/skʷ-, from Vedic सचान (sacāná, “accompanied”) and Greek ἑσπόμην (hespómēn, “I followed”); a middle thematic present *sékʷ-e-, the best-attested formation; a perfect *se-sókʷ/skʷ-; a causative-iterative *sokʷ-éi̯e-; and an s-desiderative behind Greek ἕψομαι (hépsomai, “I will follow”).[1] An e-reduplicated present *sé-sokʷ/skʷ- is marked as doubtful, and the Vedic s-aorist is an innovation.[1] De Vaan sets up the present as *sekw-e/o- with middle inflection, beside Proto-Italic *sekwondo- (“following”).[2] Kümmel adds a new ske-present, Parthian hxs- (“to follow”).[6]

Evidence

Clackson lists the root among those retained in Indo-Iranian, Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic and possibly Albanian, but not in Armenian.[7] Kümmel deletes the Tocharian A verb säk- that LIV had listed here: it means "to cut", not "to follow", and belongs under *sekH-.[6] No Anatolian verb is listed by LIV.[1] Hittite šākuu̯a- (“eye”) has been connected with Germanic "to see" from this root, but Kloekhorst finds both proposed etymologies of it problematic, since PIE *kʷ does not seem to give Hittite single ⟨-ku-⟩.[8]

Competing analyses

Proto-Germanic *sehwaną (“to see”) is placed here by Kroonen, who assumes a shift from "to follow" to "to keep an eye on".[3] LIV marks the Gothic verb with a query and notes that it is often put here on the assumption of a change from "to follow with the eyes".[1] Beekes calls the Germanic meaning a semantic deviation, perhaps "to follow with the eyes".[9] On this view "to see" is a Germanic development of the root "to follow", not a separate root.[3]

Meanings

  1. to join, to attach oneself to;[1] in the middle voice, to follow, to accompany[2]

LIV notes that 2.*sekʷ- "to say" may originally have been the same root, as "to join words together".[10] Derksen likewise mentions that the two are sometimes regarded as one root.[11]

Derivatives

  • An ablauting i-stem *sokʷH-ōi, genitive *sokʷH-i-os, "companion", in Latin socius (“companion”), Sanskrit सखा (sákhā, “friend”) and Proto-Germanic *sagja- (“man, hero”).[12] Ringe also takes the Germanic word as a derivative of the root.[4]
  • Ancient Greek ὀπάων (opáōn, “companion”), from *ὀπά-ϝων "belonging to the retinue".[13]
  • Latin secundus (“following, second”), from Proto-Italic *sekwondo-.[2]

Reflexes

  • Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit सचते (sácate, “accompanies”), listed by LIV.[1]
  • Iranian: Avestan hacaitē (“joins, follows”), listed by LIV;[1] Cheung's Iranian *hač has Parthian hxs- (“to follow, pursue”).[14]
  • Greek: Ancient Greek ἕπομαι (hépomai, “I follow”).[9]
  • Italic: Latin sequor (“to follow”).[2]
  • Celtic: Old Irish sechithir (“follows”).[15]
  • Germanic: Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽 (saihwan, “to see”), if the meaning shifted.[3]
  • Baltic: Lithuanian sèkti (“to follow, track down”).[11]

*sekʷ-2 to say

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

LIV's 2.*sekʷ- is "to say".[10] Beekes, Kroonen and Derksen write *sekw- or *sekʷ- with the same meaning.[16][12][11]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a root aorist *sékʷ-/skʷ- in Greek ἔνισπε (énispe, “told”), a thematic present *sékʷ-e- in Greek ἐννέπω (ennépō, “I tell”) and Old Latin īnsece (“tell!”), an i-reduplicated present *si-sékʷ/skʷ-, and an iterative *sokʷ-éi̯e-.[10] Latin inquit (“says”) is placed either with the aorist or with the reduplicated present.[10] Beekes derives ἐννέπω from Proto-Greek *en-hekw-,[16] and finds the zero grade in the aorist.[17]

Evidence

The root is cited in Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic and Baltic, and Kroonen adds Slavic forms of the iterative.[10][12] Lithuanian sèkti (“to tell”) is only dialectal and occurs only with an inner object, "to tell a story".[17][10]

Meanings

  1. to say[10]

Kroonen glosses the root "to recount".[12] Ringe treats it as a root distinct from *sekw- "to accompany, follow".[4]

Derivatives

  • The iterative *sokʷ-éi̯e- gives Proto-Germanic *sagjaną (“to say”) and Lithuanian sakýti (“to say”).[12]
  • Ancient Greek ἄσπετος (áspetos, “endless, immense”), from *n-skw-eto- "unspeakable".[16]
  • Old Irish insce (“discourse”), from *en(i)-skw-iā.[17]

Reflexes

  • Greek: Ancient Greek ἐννέπω (ennépō, “to tell”).[17]
  • Italic: Latin īnsece (“tell!”).[17]
  • Celtic: Proto-Celtic *sekʷ-o- (“to say”), in Middle Irish sechid (“asserts”) and Old Welsh hepp (“says”).[15]
  • Germanic: Old Norse segja (“to say”), Old English secgan (“to say”).[12]
  • Baltic: Lithuanian sèkti (“to tell”), dialectal.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 1.*sekʷ-
  2. ^ a b c d e 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. sequor
  3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 431
  4. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ 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. ch. 71, Wodtko
  6. ^ a b Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 81
  7. ^ 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. ch. 64, Clackson
  8. ^ Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 704
  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. ἕπομαι
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 2.*sekʷ-
  11. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2015), Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 406
  12. ^ a b c d e f Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 420
  13. ^ 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. ὀπ
  14. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007), Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb, Leiden: Brill, p. 149
  15. ^ a b Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 339
  16. ^ 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. ἄσπετος
  17. ^ 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. ἐν

Descendants

Cite this entry

“*sekʷ-.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ine-pro/*sek%CA%B7-. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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