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: 2. bhā- 'to speak'
Semantic Field(s): to Speak, Talk
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | ||||
| Old English: | antef(e)n | n | anthem, antiphon | ASD | 
| bannan, bonnan | vb | to summon | ASD/W7 | |
| bēn | n | prayer | W7 | |
| bōian | vb | to boast | RPN | |
| ge-bann | n | ban | CDC | |
| Middle English: | abando(u)nen | vb | to abandon | W7 | 
| affabil | adj | affable | AHD | |
| antem | n | anthem | W7 | |
| ban | n | ban | W7 | |
| bane | n | banns | W7 | |
| banishen, banysen | vb | to banish | CDC/W7 | |
| bannen | vb | to curse, summon | W7 | |
| ben(e) | n | prayer | CDC | |
| bone, boon, boyn(e) | n | boon, request | CDC/MEV/W7 | |
| confessen | vb | to confess | W7 | |
| defamen | vb | to defame | W7 | |
| diffamen | vb | to defame | W7 | |
| enfaunt | n | infant | W7 | |
| fable | n | fable | W7 | |
| faerie, fairie | n | fay land/realm/people | W7 | |
| faie, fay(e) | n | fay | W7 | |
| fame | n | fame | W7 | |
| famous | adj | famous | W7 | |
| fate | n | fate | W7 | |
| ineffable | adj | ineffable | W7 | |
| infamous | adj | infamous | W7 | |
| -phonie | n | -phony | W7 | |
| preface | n | preface | W7 | |
| profes | adj | having professed one's vows | W7 | |
| professen | vb | to profess | W7 | |
| prophete | n | prophet | W7 | |
| symphonie | n | symphony | W7 | |
| English: | abandon | vb.trans | to give up, disavow rights/interest | AHD/W7 | 
| affable | adj | friendly, pleasant, talkative | AHD/W7 | |
| anthem | n | hymn sung responsively/antiphonally | AHD/W7 | |
| antiphon | n | psalm/verse sung antiphonally | AHD/W7 | |
| aphonia | n | loss of voice and all but whispered speech | AHD/W7 | |
| apophasis | n | allusion by denying mention | AHD | |
| arriere-ban | n | king's proclamation calling vassals to arms | AHD/W7 | |
| ban | n | order, decree, summons, proclamation | LRC | |
| ban | vb | to curse | AHD/W7 | |
| banal | adj | trite, lacking freshness/originality | AHD/W7 | |
| bandit | n | outlaw, brigand | AHD/W7 | |
| banish | vb.trans | to require to leave country | AHD/W7 | |
| banns | n.pl | public announcement (in church) of proposed marriage | AHD/W7 | |
| boon | n | favor, benefit | AHD/W7 | |
| cacophonous | adj | harsh-sounding | AHD/W7 | |
| confess | vb | to admit, acknowledge | AHD/W7 | |
| contraband | n | illegal/prohibited traffic | AHD/W7 | |
| defame | vb.trans | to disgrace | AHD/W7 | |
| euphemism | n | subsitute for offensive expression | AHD/W7 | |
| euphony | n | sweet pleasing sound | AHD/W7 | |
| fable | n | story, fictitious narrative | AHD/W7 | |
| fabliau | n | short, coarse, cynical tale in verse | AHD/W7 | |
| fabulous | adj | legendary, re: fable | AHD/W7 | |
| fado | n | plaintive Portuguese folk song | AHD/W7 | |
| Faerie | prop.n | elven land in Tolkien: The Hobbit | LRC | |
| fairy | n | mythical small magic being | AHD/W7 | |
| fame | n | reputation, public esteem | AHD/W7 | |
| famous | adj | widely known | AHD/W7 | |
| fandango | n | lively Spanish/American dance | AHD/W7 | |
| fantoccini | n | puppets moved by strings or other devices | AHD/W7 | |
| fate | n | destiny, principle by which things happen | AHD/W7 | |
| fay | adj | possessed, enchanted | LRC | |
| fay | n | elf, fairy | W7 | |
| homophone | n | word sounding like another but different in spelling/meaning | TLL | |
| ineffable | adj | indescribable, incapable of verbal expression | AHD/W7 | |
| infamous | adj | having worst kind of reputation | AHD/W7 | |
| infant | n | child in earliest period of life | AHD/W7 | |
| infantry | n | trained soldiers armed/equipped to fight on foot | AHD/W7 | |
| -phasia | n.sfx | speech disorder | AHD/W7 | |
| -phone | n.sfx | sound | AHD/W7 | |
| phone | n | speech sound considered as mere physical event | AHD/W7 | |
| phoneme | n | smallest unit of speech | AHD/W7 | |
| phonetic | adj | re: sounds of speech | AHD/W7 | |
| phon(o)- | pfx | sound; voice, speech | AHD | |
| -phony | n.sfx | sound | AHD/W7 | |
| Polyphemus | prop.n | a certain cyclops (Greek mythology) | LRC | |
| preface | n | eucharistic prayer of thanksgiving | AHD/W7 | |
| profess | vb | to take religious vows | AHD/W7 | |
| prophet | n | divinely inspired speaker | AHD/W7 | |
| symphony | n | consonance of sounds | AHD/W7 | |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | ban, bon | n | ban | CDC | 
| banna, bonna | vb | to summon | ASD | |
| Old Dutch: | ban | n | ban | CDC | 
| bannen | vb | to ban, prohibit | CDC | |
| Dutch: | bannen | vb | to banish, exile | CDC | 
| Old Saxon: | ban | n | ban | CDC | 
| Old High German: | ban(n) | n | ban | CDC | 
| bannan | vb | to command | W7 | |
| pannan | vb | to summon | ASD | |
| Middle High German: | ban(n) | n | ban | CDC | 
| bannen | vb | to ban, prohibit | ASD | |
| German: | Bandit | n.masc | bandit | LRC | 
| Bann | n.masc | ban; spell | CDC | |
| bannen | vb | to ban, banish, avert | LRC | |
| Fabel | n.fem | fable | LRC | |
| Infanterie | n.fem | infantry | LRC | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | banna, bannað | vb | to ban, forbid, prohibit | LRC | 
| bōn | n.fem | boon, petition | ASD/W7 | |
| Icelandic: | bann | n | ban, interdict, prohibition, excommunication | CDC | 
| banna | vb | to ban, forbid | CDC | |
| bōn | n | prayer, petition | CDC | |
| Danish: | ban(d) | n | ban, interdict, prohibition, excommunication | CDC | 
| bande | vb | to ban, swear | CDC | |
| bön | n | prayer, petition | CDC | |
| Swedish: | bann | n | ban, interdict, prohibition, excommunication | CDC | 
| banna | vb | to ban, chide, reprove | CDC | |
| bön | n | prayer, petition | CDC | |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | bandwjan | vb | to signify | ASD | 
| *bannan | vb | to proclaim, announce | CDC | |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | *adfor, adfārī, affārī | vb.dep | to accost, address, speak to, say farewell | AHD/CLD | 
| affābilis | adj | affable | AHD | |
| confiteor, confitēri, confessus | vb.dep | to admit, confess | W7 | |
| diffamo, diffāmare | vb | to defame | W7 | |
| effabilis | adj | capable of being expressed | W7 | |
| effor, effāri | vb | to speak out | W7 | |
| fabula | n.fem | play, fable, conversation | W7 | |
| fabulosus | adj | fabulous | W7 | |
| facundus, facunda, facundum | adj | fluent, eloquent | LRC | |
| fāma, fāmae | n.fem | talk, report | LRC | |
| famosus | adj | famous | W7 | |
| fans, fantis | vb.pres.ptc | speaking | W7 | |
| fās | n.neut | right | LRC | |
| Fata | prop.n.fem | goddess of fate | W7 | |
| fateor, fatēri | vb | to allow, admit, acknowledge | W7 | |
| fatum, fatī | n.neut | fate, divine utterance | LRC | |
| for, fārī, fātus | vb.dep | to talk | LRC | |
| ineffabilis | vb.ptc | ineffable, impossible to erase | W7 | |
| infamis | adj | ill-famed, dishonoured | W7 | |
| infans, infantis | adj/n.masc | incapable of speech; infant | LRC | |
| Polyphemus | n.masc | Polyphemus | W7 | |
| praefatio, praefationis | n.fem | foreword | W7 | |
| praefor, praefāri, praefātus | vb | to say beforehand | W7 | |
| profiteor, profitērī, professus | vb | to profess, confess | W7 | |
| propheta | n.fem | prophet | W7 | |
| symphonia | n.fem | symphony | W7 | |
| Late Latin: | antiphōna | n.masc | anthem, antiphon | W7 | 
| apophasis | n | apophasis | AHD | |
| euphonia | n.fem | euphony | W7 | |
| professus | vb.ptc | professed, taught | W7 | |
| Middle Latin: | bannalis | adj | banal | CDC | 
| ban(nd)ire | vb | to ban, banish, proclaim | CDC | |
| bannum, bandum | n | ban, edict, banishment | CDC | |
| Medieval Latin: | bannus | n.masc | ban | W7 | 
| contrabannum | n.neut | contraband, against the ban | W7 | |
| defamō, defamāre | vb | to defame | W7 | |
| prephatia | n.fem | foreword | W7 | |
| New Latin: | aphonia | n.fem | aphonia, impossibility to make a sound | W7 | 
| -phasia | sfx | of speech | W7 | |
| phoneticus | adj | phonetic | W7 | |
| Portuguese: | bandir | vb | to banish | CDC | 
| bando | n | ban, edict, banishment | CDC | |
| fado | n.masc | sad/plaintive folk song | W7 | |
| falar | vb | to speak | TLL | |
| Old Spanish: | bandir | vb | to banish | CDC | 
| Spanish: | bando | n.masc | ban, edict, banishment | CDC | 
| hablar | vb | to speak | TLL | |
| Old French: | abandoner, abanduner | vb | to abandon | CDC | 
| affable | adj | affable | AHD | |
| ariere-ban | n | arriere-ban | AHD | |
| ban | n | ban, edict, banishment | CDC | |
| banal | adj | shared by tenants of feudal jurisdiction | AHD | |
| banir | vb | to ban, make known | GED | |
| ban(n)ir | vb | to banish | CDC | |
| fable | n.fem | fable | W7 | |
| fabliau | n.masc | fable, popular medieval tale | W7 | |
| faerie | n.fem | fay-land, magical power | W7 | |
| fa(i)e | n.fem | fay | OED | |
| fame | n.fem | report, fame | W7 | |
| herban | n | military service ban (summons) | AHD | |
| -phonie | sfx | sound | W7 | |
| profes | adj | having professed one's vows | W7 | |
| prophete | n.masc | prophet | W7 | |
| symphonie | n.fem | symphony | W7 | |
| Middle French: | abandon | n.masc | surrender, abandon | W7 | 
| affable | adj | affable | W7 | |
| ban | n.masc | feudal service | W7 | |
| banal | adj | banal, common; re: compulsory feudal service | W7 | |
| bandon | n | power, control | AHD/W7 | |
| banisse | vb.ptc | banished | W7 | |
| confesser | vb | to confess | W7 | |
| defamer | vb | to defame | W7 | |
| diffamer | vb | to defame | W7 | |
| enfant | n.masc | child | W7 | |
| fable | n.fem | fable, tale with moral content | W7 | |
| fameux | adj | famous | W7 | |
| fe(i)e | n.fem | fay | W7 | |
| ineffable | adj | ineffable, impossible to tell | W7 | |
| infanterie | n.fem | infantry | W7 | |
| preface | n.fem | foreword | W7 | |
| French: | arrière-ban | n | arriere-ban | W7 | 
| banal | adj | banal, common, vulgar | W7 | |
| bannir | vb | to banish | CDC | |
| euphonie | n.fem | euphony | W7 | |
| fabliau | n.masc | fabliau, medieval tale or song | W7 | |
| fée | n.fem | fay | OED | |
| phonème | n.masc | speech sound, phoneme | W7 | |
| Old Occitan: | ban | n | ban, edict, banishment | CDC | 
| banal | adj | banal | CDC | |
| Provençal: | bandon | n | ban | CDC | 
| Old Italian: | infante | n.masc | boy, foot soldier | W7 | 
| infanteria | n.fem | infantry | W7 | |
| Italian: | abandonnare | vb | to abandon | CDC | 
| bandire | vb | to ban, banish, proclaim, make known | CDC/GED | |
| bandito | n.masc | bandit | W7 | |
| bando | n | ban, edict, banishment | CDC | |
| contrabbando | n.masc | contraband | W7 | |
| fante | n.masc | infantryman, jack | CID/W7 | |
| fantòccio | n.masc | doll, puppet | CID/W7 | |
| Slavic | ||||
| Russian Church Slavic: | bajati | vb | to tell, to heal | RPN | 
| Albanian | ||||
| Albanian: | fat | n.masc | fate | LRC | 
| Hellenic | ||||
| Greek: | antiphōnos | adj | responsive, sounding in answer | W7 | 
| ἀπόφᾰσις | n.fem | denial, negation, apophasis | AHD/LS | |
| aphōnia | n.fem | aphonia | W7 | |
| aphōnos | adj | voiceless | W7 | |
| euphēmismos | n.masc | figure of speech: improving the sound of | W7 | |
| euphēmos | adj | auspicious, sounding good | W7 | |
| euphōnia | n.fem | euphony, harmony | W7 | |
| euphōnos | adj | sweet-voiced, musical | W7 | |
| kakophōnos | adj | cacophonous | W7 | |
| Polyphēmos | n.masc | Polyphemus | W7 | |
| προφητεία | n.fem | prophecy | LRC | |
| προφητεύω | vb | to prophesy | LRC | |
| προφήτης | n.masc | prophet | LRC | |
| prophētēs | n.masc | prophet, seer | W7 | |
| symphōnia | n.fem | symphony | W7 | |
| symphōnos | adj | concordant in sound | W7 | |
| phanai | vb | to speak | W7 | |
| -phasia | afx | speech | W7 | |
| phasis | n.fem | utterance | W7 | |
| φήμη | n | ominous voice, oracle | RPN | |
| phēmē | n.fem | speech | W7 | |
| φῆμι | vb | to say | LRC | |
| phōnein | vb | to sound | W7 | |
| phōnē | n.fem | voice | W7 | |
| phōnēma, phōnēmat- | n.neut | speech sound, utterance | W7 | |
| phōnētikos | adj | of sounds, of voice | W7 | |
| -phōnia | sfx | act of sounding | W7 | |
| -phōnos | sfx | sounding | W7 | |
| Armenian | ||||
| Classical Armenian: | ban | n | speech, word | LRC | 
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| adj | = | adjective | 
| afx | = | affix | 
| dep | = | deponent | 
| fem | = | feminine (gender) | 
| masc | = | masculine (gender) | 
| n | = | noun | 
| neut | = | neuter (gender) | 
| pfx | = | prefix | 
| pl | = | plural (number) | 
| pres | = | present (tense) | 
| 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) | 
| CID | = | Cassell's Italian Dictionary (1958) | 
| CLD | = | Cassell's Latin Dictionary (1959, rev. 1968) | 
| GED | = | Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986) | 
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin | 
| LS | = | Liddell and Scott: Greek-English Lexicon, 7th-9th ed's (1882-1940), rev. | 
| MEV | = | J.R.R. Tolkien: A Middle English Vocabulary (1922) | 
| OED | = | James A.H. Murray et al: The Oxford English Dictionary (1933) | 
| RPN | = | Allan R. Bomhard: Reconstructing Proto-Nostratic (2002) | 
| TLL | = | Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944) | 
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) | 
