Indo-European Lexicon
PIE Etymon and IE Reflexes
Below we display: a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) etymon adapted from Pokorny, with our own English gloss; our Semantic Field assignment(s) for the etymon, linked to information about the field(s); an optional Comment; and Reflexes (derived words) in various Indo-European languages, organized by family/group in west-to-east order where Germanic is split into West/North/East families and English, our language of primary emphasis, is artificially separated from West Germanic. IE Reflexes appear most often as single words with any optional letter(s) enclosed in parentheses; but alternative full spellings are separated by '/' and "principal parts" appear in a standard order (e.g. masculine, feminine, and neuter forms) separated by commas.
Reflexes are annotated with: Part-of-Speech and/or other Grammatical feature(s); a short Gloss which, especially for modern English reflexes, may be confined to the oldest sense; and some Source citation(s) with 'LRC' always understood as editor. Keys to PoS/Gram feature abbreviations and Source codes appear below the reflexes; at the end are links to the previous/next etyma [in Pokorny's alphabetic order] that have reflexes.
All reflex pages are currently under active construction; as time goes on, corrections may be made and/or more etyma & reflexes may be added.
Pokorny Etymon: ambhi, m̥bhi 'around, at both sides'
Semantic Field(s): Circle, to Wind, Wrap
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | ||||
| Old Irish: | imb- | adv/prep/pfx | about | GED |
| Gaulish: | amb- | adv/prep/pfx | about | GED |
| English | ||||
| Old English: | bā, bū | adj/pron.neut | both | GED |
| be, bi, bī | adv/prep/pfx | by, concerning | RPN | |
| bēgen | adj/pron.du.masc | both | GED | |
| ymbe, ymb- | adv/prep/pfx | at, around | LRC | |
| Middle English: | alley | n | alley | W7 |
| ambidexter | n | double-dealer | AHD | |
| amblen | vb | to amble | AHD | |
| amis | n | amice | W7 | |
| amphibena | n | amphisbaena | AHD | |
| amphitheatre | n | amphitheater | AHD | |
| amphora | n | amphora | AHD | |
| ba, bo | adj/pron | both | CDC | |
| be- | pfx | be- | W7 | |
| bo | adv | too, as well | MEV | |
| both(e), boþ(e), bath(e), booth | adj/pron | both | CDC/MEV/W7 | |
| by, bi, be(o) | adv/prep | by | MEV/W7 | |
| preamble | n | preamble | W7 | |
| English: | alley | n | narrow backstreet | AHD/W7 |
| ambi- | pfx | around, on both sides | AHD/W7 | |
| ambidextrous | adj | using either hand with equal ease | AHD | |
| ambient | adj | encompassing, surrounding on all sides | AHD/W7 | |
| ambiguous | adj | unclear, doubtful, equivocal | AHD | |
| ambivalence | n | simultaneous attraction/repulsion | AHD/W7 | |
| amble | vb.intrans | to stroll, saunter, walk slowly | AHD/W7 | |
| ambsace | n | bad luck; snake eyes (dice) | AHD/W7 | |
| ambulance | n | vehicle for treating the injured | AHD/W7 | |
| ambulate | vb.trans | to move from place to place | AHD/W7 | |
| ambulatory | adj | re: walking | LRC | |
| amice | n | liturgical vestment worn about neck/shoulders under alb | AHD/W7 | |
| amph(i)- | pfx | around, on both sides | AHD/W7 | |
| amphibian | n | amphibious organism | AHD/W7 | |
| amphibious | adj | adapted to both land and water | TLL | |
| amphibole | n | hornblende | AHD/W7 | |
| amphibrach | n | metrical foot: short/unstressed + long/stressed + short/unstressed syllables | AHD/W7 | |
| amphimacer | n | metrical foot: long/stressed + short/unstressed + long/stressed syllables | AHD/W7 | |
| amphimixis | n | germ cell union in sexual reproduction | AHD/W7 | |
| amphioxus | n | lancelet | AHD | |
| amphisbaena | n | serpent with head at each end able to move in either direction (classical mythology) | AHD | |
| amphistylar | adj | having columns on opposite sides | AHD | |
| amphitheater | n | oval/circular space/building/arena overlooking stage/platform | W7 | |
| amphithecium | n | outer cell layer of spore-containing moss capsule | AHD | |
| amphora | n | two-handled jar/vase with narrow neck | AHD | |
| amphoteric | adj | substance acting as both acid and base | AHD/W7 | |
| amplexicaul | adj | with base/stipules clasping stem | AHD | |
| amputate | vb.trans | to prune, cut/lop off | AHD | |
| andante | adj | moderately slow (musical direction) | AHD/W7 | |
| be- | pfx | [participial marker] | AHD/W7 | |
| both | adj/pron | two, one and another | AHD/W7 | |
| by | prep | at, through, next/near to | AHD/W7 | |
| Bywater | prop.n | Shire village in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| funambulist | n | tightrope walker | AHD/W7 | |
| ombudsman | n | one who investigates complaints and mediates settlements | AHD | |
| perambulate | vb | to stroll, traverse | AHD/W7 | |
| preamble | n | opening statement | AHD/W7 | |
| umlaut | n | change of vowel sound | AHD/W7 | |
| British English: | amphitheatre | n | amphitheater | LRC |
| Scots English: | baith | adj/pron | both | CDC |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | be, bi | prep | by | ASD |
| bēde | adj/pron | both | CDC | |
| bēthe | adj/pron | both | GED | |
| umbe | prep | by, about | ASD | |
| Middle Dutch: | bede | adj/pron | both | ASD |
| Dutch: | beide | adj/pron | both | ASD |
| bij | prep | beside | TLL | |
| by | prep | by | ASD | |
| om | prep | after | TLL | |
| omdat | conj | because | TLL | |
| voorbij | prep | past, beyond | TLL | |
| Old Saxon: | be, bi | prep | by | ASD |
| bēþia, bēdea | adj/pron | both | ASD/GED | |
| bēþie | adj/pron | both | CDC | |
| umbi | prep | by, about | ASD | |
| Low German: | beede | adj/pron | both | ASD |
| Old High German: | bēde, beide | adj/pron | both | GED |
| bi, pi | adv/prep | by, concerning | ASD/RPN | |
| umbi, umpi | prep/adv | by, about | ASD/GED | |
| Middle High German: | beide | adj/pron | both | CDC |
| bi | prep | by | ASD | |
| German: | Allee | n.fem | alley, parkway, avenue | LRC |
| Ambivalenz | n.fem | ambivalence | AHD | |
| ambulant | adj | ambulatory | LRC | |
| Ambulanz | n.fem | ambulance, acute day ward | LRC | |
| Amphiteather | n.fem | amphitheater | LRC | |
| bei | prep | by | ASD | |
| beide | adj/pron | both | ASD | |
| bis | prep | until | TLL | |
| um | prep | at, about, around | TLL | |
| Umlaut | n.masc | umlaut | W7 | |
| vorbei | adv | past, beyond | TLL | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | bāðar, bæði | adj/pron | both | ASD |
| bāðir | adj/pron | both | GED | |
| Icelandic: | bāðar | adj/pron.fem | both | CDC |
| bāðir | adj/pron.masc | both | CDC | |
| bæði, bāði | adj/pron.neut | both | CDC | |
| um(b) | prep | by, about | ASD | |
| Danish: | baade | adj/pron | both | ASD |
| forbi | prep | past, beyond | TLL | |
| om | prep/conj | in, at, about; whether | TLL | |
| Swedish: | båda | adj/pron | both | CDC |
| både | adj/pron | both | ASD | |
| förbi | prep | past, beyond | TLL | |
| om | prep/conj | in, at, about; if, whether | TLL | |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | bai | adj/pron.du | both | GED/RPN |
| bajōþs | n.pl | both | CDC | |
| bi | prep | by, concerning | LRC | |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | amb(i)- | pfx | around, on both sides | GED |
| ambigo, ambigere | vb | to go round/about | AHD/CLD | |
| ambiguus | adj | ambiguous | AHD | |
| ambō | pron.du | both | GED/RPN | |
| ambulo, ambulāre, ambulatus | vb | to walk | W7 | |
| amicio, amicīre, amicuī, amictus | vb | to wrap around | W7 | |
| amictus, amictūs | n.masc | cloak, outer garment | W7 | |
| amictus | adj/vb.ptc | clad, thrown around | W7 | |
| amphisbaena | n.fem | amphisbaena | W7 | |
| amphitheātrum | n | amphitheater | AHD | |
| amphora | n | amphora | AHD | |
| -bus | dat/abl.pl | [case ending] | RPN | |
| funambulus | n.masc | one who walks on a rope | W7 | |
| perambulo, perambulare, perambulatus | vb | to walk through | W7 | |
| Late Latin: | praeambulus | adj | walking in front of | W7 |
| Medieval Latin: | preambulum | n.neut | preamble | W7 |
| New Latin: | Amphibia | prop.n | (class name for) amphibians | AHD |
| Old French: | alee | n.fem | path, alley | W7 |
| aler | vb | to go | W7 | |
| ambes | pron | both | W7 | |
| ambler | vb | to amble | AHD | |
| ambsace | n.fem | the lowest throw at dice, something worthless or unlucky | W7 | |
| amit, amis | n | cloak, amice | AHD | |
| Middle French: | allée | n.fem | path, alley | W7 |
| amit | n.masc | cloak, amice | W7 | |
| préambule | n.masc | preamble, foreword | W7 | |
| French: | ambulance | n.fem | ambulance | W7 |
| ambulant | adj | walking, able to walk | W7 | |
| Italian: | andante | vb.ptc | going, current, moderately slow | W7 |
| andare | vb | to go | W7 | |
| Baltic | ||||
| Old Prussian: | abbai | pron | both | GED |
| Lithuanian: | abù | pron | both | GED |
| Latvian: | abi | pron | both | GED |
| Slavic | ||||
| Old Church Slavonic: | oba, obě, obě | adj | both | LRC |
| oba | pron | both | GED | |
| Albanian | ||||
| Albanian: | mbi | prep | on, onto | IEW |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Homeric Greek: | ἀμφότερος | pron | both, each of two | LRC |
| ἄμφω | pron.du | both | GED | |
| Greek: | ἀμφί, ἀμφ- | adv/prep/pfx | around, on both sides | GED |
| amphibios | adj | amphibious, living double life | AHD | |
| amphitheatron | n | amphitheater | AHD | |
| ἄμφω | pron.du | both | RPN | |
| -φ(ι) | loc.sfx | around, on both sides | RPN | |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | abhí, abhi- | adv/prep | to, towards, about | GED/RPN |
| ubhau | pron.du | both | GED/RPN | |
| -bhis | inst.pl | [case ending] | RPN | |
| -bhyas | dat/abl.pl | [case ending] | RPN | |
| -bhyām | inst/dat/abl.du | [case ending] | RPN | |
| Tocharian | ||||
| Tocharian B: | ant-api | pron | both | GED |
| Tocharian A: | āmpi | pron | both | GED |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| abl | = | ablative (case) |
| adj | = | adjective |
| adv | = | adverb(ial) |
| conj | = | conjunction |
| dat | = | dative (case) |
| du | = | dual (number) |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| inst | = | instrumental (case) |
| intrans | = | intransitive |
| loc | = | locative (case) |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| pfx | = | prefix |
| pl | = | plural (number) |
| prep | = | preposition |
| pron | = | pronoun |
| prop | = | proper |
| ptc | = | participle |
| sfx | = | suffix |
| trans | = | transitive |
| vb | = | verb |
Key to information Source codes (always with 'LRC' as editor):
| Code | Citation | |
|---|---|---|
| AHD | = | Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed. (2000) |
| ASD | = | Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898) |
| CDC | = | W.D. Whitney and B.E. Smith: The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia (1889-1911) |
| CLD | = | Cassell's Latin Dictionary (1959, rev. 1968) |
| GED | = | Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986) |
| IEW | = | Julius Pokorny: Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (1959) |
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| MEV | = | J.R.R. Tolkien: A Middle English Vocabulary (1922) |
| RPN | = | Allan R. Bomhard: Reconstructing Proto-Nostratic (2002) |
| TLL | = | Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944) |
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) |
