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: 4. bhel-, and bhlē-, bhlō-, bhlə- 'leaf, foil, blade; bloom'
Semantic Field(s): Leaf, Flower
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | ||||
| Old Irish: | bláth | n | flower | RPN |
| English | ||||
| Old English: | blǣd | n.masc | breath, life, spirit | LRC |
| blǣd | n.neut | blade | LRC | |
| blēd | n.fem | stalk, fruit, flower | ASD/RPN | |
| blēdan | vb | to bleed | ASD/W7 | |
| blētsian, bletsi(g)an, blēdsian | vb | to bless | ASD/CDC/W7 | |
| blōd | n.str.neut | blood | GED | |
| blōma | n.masc | bloom, lump of metal | ASD/W7 | |
| blōstm(a), blōsma, blōsþma | n.masc | blossom | ASD/CDC/W7 | |
| blōt | n.neut | blood, sacrifice | ASD | |
| blōt-mōnaþ | n.masc | November, lit. blood-month (of sacrifice) | ASD | |
| blōwan | vb | to blow | W7 | |
| cerfille, cærfille, cyrfille | n.fem | chervil | ASD/W7 | |
| Northumbrian: | bloedsia, bl(o)etsia | vb | to bless | ASD |
| Middle English: | blad(e), bladde | n | blade | CDC/W7 |
| blede | n | fruit, blossom | CDC | |
| bleden | vb | to bleed | W7 | |
| bless(i)en, blescen, bletsien | vb | to bless | CDC/W7 | |
| blom | n | bloom: flower, perfection | MEV | |
| blome | n | bloom: lump of metal | W7 | |
| blood(e), blod(e), bl(o)ud | n | blood | CDC/MEV/W7 | |
| blossome, blossum, blos(t)me | n | blossom | CDC/W7 | |
| blowen | vb | to blow | W7 | |
| cherville | n | chervil | W7 | |
| deflouren | vb | to deflower | W7 | |
| emblayment | n | emblements | W7 | |
| florin | n | florin | W7 | |
| florisshen | vb | to flourish | W7 | |
| flour | n | flour, flower, best of anything | W7 | |
| flourette | n | floret | W7 | |
| foil | n | foil | W7 | |
| folio | n | folio | W7 | |
| milfoil | n | yarrow | W7 | |
| trefoil | n | clover | W7 | |
| English: | blade | n | leaf | AHD/W7 |
| bleed, bled | vb.str | to lose/emit blood | AHD/W7 | |
| bless, blest | vb.wk.trans | to hallow/consecrate by religious rite/word | AHD/W7 | |
| blood | n | fluid circulating in veins/arteries of vertebrates | AHD/W7 | |
| bloom | n | flower | AHD/W7 | |
| bloom | n | wrought iron mass from forge/puddling furnace | AHD/W7 | |
| bloom | vb | to yield/produce flowers | W7 | |
| Blooting | prop.n | Bree calendar's November in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| blossom | n | flower of seed plant | AHD/W7 | |
| blossom | vb | to bloom | W7 | |
| Blotmath, Blodmath, Blommath | prop.n | Shire calendar's November in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| blow, blew, blown | vb.str.intrans | to flower, blossom | AHD/W7 | |
| cauliflower | n | garden plant | AHD/W7 | |
| chervil | n | aromatic herb | AHD/W7 | |
| cinquefoil | n | plant of rose family having 5-lobed leaves | AHD/W7 | |
| deflower | vb.trans | to ravish, deprive of virginity | AHD/W7 | |
| defoliate | vb.trans | to deprive of leaves | AHD/W7 | |
| effloresce | vb.intrans | to bloom, burst forth | AHD/W7 | |
| emblements | n | crops, from cultivation, legally belonging to tenant | AHD/W7 | |
| enfleurage | n | extraction of perfume from flowers | AHD/W7 | |
| exfoliate | vb | to cast off scales/splinters/laminae | AHD/W7 | |
| ferret | n | narrow cotton/silk/wool tape | AHD/W7 | |
| feuilleton | n | part of European newspaper/magazine devoted to general interests | AHD/W7 | |
| Flora | prop.n | goddess of flowers (Roman mythology) | AHD/W7 | |
| flora | n | plants, plant life | W2I | |
| floral | adj | re: flora/flowers | AHD/W7 | |
| floret | n | small flower | AHD/W7 | |
| floriated | adj | having floral form/ornaments | AHD/W7 | |
| florid | adj | covered with flowers | AHD/W7 | |
| florigen | n | hormone/agent that promotes flowering | AHD/W7 | |
| florin | n | gold coin struck in Florence | AHD/W7 | |
| florist | n | one who sells flowers | AHD/W7 | |
| -florous | adj.sfx | having/bearing flowers | AHD/W7 | |
| flour | n | finely ground wheat meal | AHD/W7 | |
| flourish | vb | to thrive, grow luxuriantly | AHD/W7 | |
| flower | n | blossom, inflorescence | AHD/W7 | |
| foil | n | plant leaf | AHD/W7 | |
| foliage | n | mass of plant leaves | AHD/W7 | |
| folio | n | leaf, esp. of book/manuscript | AHD/W7 | |
| folium | n | thin layer in metamorphic rocks | AHD/W7 | |
| kingsfoil | n | healing herb in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| milfoil | n | yarrow: Eurasian composite herb | AHD/W7 | |
| millefleur | n | background of (lit. 1000) small plants/flowers | AHD | |
| perfoliate | adj | having basal part united around stem | AHD/W7 | |
| -phyll | n.sfx | leaf | AHD/W7 | |
| -phyllous | adj.sfx | having leaves/leaflets/leaf-like parts | AHD/W7 | |
| podophyllin | n | bitter resin from May apple root | AHD | |
| portfolio | n | portable case for papers/drawings | AHD/W7 | |
| trefoil | n | clover | AHD/W7 | |
| Scots English: | bluid, blude | n | blood | CDC |
| blume | n | bloom | CDC | |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | blæm, blam | n | bloom | CDC |
| bled | n | blade | CDC | |
| blēda | vb | to bleed | CDC | |
| blōd | n.str.neut | blood | GED | |
| blōia | vb | to blow: bloom | CDC | |
| Frisian: | bloed | n.neut | blood | ASD |
| bloeyen | vb | to blow: bloom | ASD | |
| North Frisian: | blomme | n | bloom | CDC |
| blot, blöt | n.neut | blood | ASD | |
| blöye | vb | to blow: bloom | ASD | |
| Old Dutch: | bloed | n.neut | blood | ASD |
| blosem | n | blossom | ASD | |
| Middle Dutch: | bloeme | n | bloom | CDC |
| Dutch: | blad | n | blade | CDC |
| bloed | n.neut | blood | ASD | |
| bloeden | vb | to bleed | ASD | |
| bloeijen | vb | to blow | ASD | |
| bloem | n.fem | bloom | CDC | |
| bloesem | n.masc | blossom | ASD | |
| kervel | n.fem | chervil | ASD | |
| Old Saxon: | blad | n | blade | CDC |
| blōd | n.str.neut | blood | GED | |
| blōjan | vb | to blow: bloom | ASD | |
| blōmo | n | bloom | CDC | |
| Middle Low German: | blat | n | blade | CDC |
| blōme | n | bloom | CDC | |
| blos(s)em | n | blossom | CDC | |
| blōt | n | fruit, blossom | CDC | |
| blöt | n | blood | CDC | |
| Low German: | blad | n | blade | CDC |
| blood | n | blood | CDC | |
| Old High German: | blāt | n | blast, blowing | ASD |
| blat | n | blade | W7 | |
| bluoen | vb | to bloom | W7 | |
| bluojan, bluo(ha)n | vb | to blow: bloom | ASD | |
| bluoma | n.fem | bloom | CDC | |
| bluomo | n.masc | bloom | CDC | |
| bluot | n | fruit, blossom | CDC | |
| bluot | n.str.neut | blood | GED | |
| bluotan | vb | to bleed | ASD | |
| kervila, kerfola | n.fem | chervil | ASD/W7 | |
| Middle High German: | blat | n | blade | CDC |
| bloust | n | blossom | CDC | |
| bluome | n.masc/fem | bloom | CDC | |
| bluon, blü(ej)en | vb | to blow: bloom | ASD | |
| bluot | n | fruit, blossom | CDC | |
| bluot | n.neut | blood | ASD | |
| kërvele | n.fem | chervil | ASD | |
| German: | Blatt | n | blade | CDC |
| blühen | vb | to blow: bloom | ASD | |
| Blume | n.fem | bloom | CDC | |
| Blut | n.neut | blood | ASD | |
| Blüte | n | flower | CDC | |
| bluten | vb | to bleed | ASD | |
| Kerbel | n.masc | chervil | ASD | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | blóm | n.neut | bloom | LRC |
| Old Icelandic: | blōð | n.str.neut | blood | GED |
| Icelandic: | blað | n | blade | CDC |
| blessa, ble(t)za | vb | to bless | ASD | |
| blōð | n.neut | blood | ASD | |
| blōm | n.neut | bloom | CDC | |
| blōmi | n.masc | bloom | CDC | |
| blōmstr | n.masc | blossom | ASD | |
| blōt | n.neut | sacrifice | ASD | |
| blæða | vb | to bleed | CDC | |
| kerfill | n.masc | chervil | ASD | |
| Danish: | blod | n.neut | blood | ASD |
| blomme | n | bloom | CDC | |
| blomst | n | flower | CDC | |
| blöde | vb | to bleed | ASD | |
| kiörvel | n.masc/fem | chervil | ASD | |
| Swedish: | blad | n | blade | CDC |
| blod | n.neut | blood | ASD | |
| blomma | n.fem | bloom | CDC | |
| blomster | n.neut | blossom | ASD | |
| blöda | vb | to bleed | ASD | |
| kyrfvel | n.masc | chervil | ASD | |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | bleiþs | adj | kind, merciful | ASD |
| bleiþyan | vb | to have mercy | ASD | |
| blōma | n | bloom | RPN | |
| bloþ | n.neut | blood | GED/IEW | |
| Crimean Gothic: | *blut, plut | n.neut | blood | CGo/GED |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | caerefolium | n.neut | chervil | ASD |
| effloresco, efflorescere | vb | to effloresce | W7 | |
| floreo, florēre | vb | to blossom, flourish | W7 | |
| flōrēscō, flōrēscere | vb | to blossom, begin to flourish | W7 | |
| floridus | adj | blooming, flowery | W7 | |
| flōs, flōris | n.masc | flower, blossom | RPN | |
| foliatus, foliata, foliatum | vb.ptc | having leaves | W7 | |
| folio | n.neut.abl | in leaves | W7 | |
| folium | n.neut | leaf | W7 | |
| millefolium | n.neut | milfoil | W7 | |
| quinquefolium | n.neut | with five leaves | W7 | |
| trifolium | n.neut | with three leaves | W7 | |
| Vulgar Latin: | florio, florīre | vb | to bloom | W7 |
| Late Latin: | defloro, deflorāre | vb | to deflower | W7 |
| defolio, defoliāre, defoliātus | vb | to defoliate | W7 | |
| exfolio, exfoliāre, exfoliātus | vb | to exfoliate, strip of leaves | W7 | |
| -florus | sfx | flowering, blossoming | W7 | |
| New Latin: | Flora | n.fem | Flora | W7 |
| flora | n.neut.pl | flora, plants of a region | W7 | |
| folium | n.neut | leaf, page of a manuscript | W7 | |
| perfoliata | n.fem | herb having leaves pierced by stem | W7 | |
| -phyllum | sfx | leaf | W7 | |
| -phyllus | sfx | having leaf-like parts | W7 | |
| Portuguese: | fôlha | n | foil | TLL |
| Spanish: | hoja | n | foil | TLL |
| Old French: | flor | n.fem | flower | W7 |
| flour | n.fem | flower | W7 | |
| foil | n.masc | foil | W7 | |
| foillet | n.masc.dim | small foil | W7 | |
| milfoil | n.fem | milfoil | W7 | |
| Middle French: | blee | n | grain | W7 |
| cincfoille | n.masc | cinquefoil | W7 | |
| deflorer | vb | to deflower | W7 | |
| emblaement | n.masc | space sown with grain | W7 | |
| emblaer | vb | to sow with grain | W7 | |
| fleur | n.fem | flower | W7 | |
| florin | n.masc | florin | W7 | |
| florir, florissé | vb | to flourish | W7 | |
| flour | n.fem | flower | W7 | |
| flouret | n.fem.dim | small flower | W7 | |
| foille | n.fem | foil | W7 | |
| fuellage | n.masc | foliage | W7 | |
| passefleur | n.fem | pasqueflower | W7 | |
| trefeuil | n.masc | clover | W7 | |
| French: | blé | n | grain, wheat | LRC |
| chèvrefeuille | n.masc | honeysuckle, lit. goatleaf | LRC | |
| feuille | n.masc | foil | TLL | |
| feuillet | n.masc | leaflet, sheet of paper | W7 | |
| feuilleton | n.masc | soap; feuilleton | W7 | |
| mille-fleur(s) | n | millefleur | AHD | |
| Old Italian: | fiore | n.fem | flower | W7 |
| fiorino | n.masc | florin | W7 | |
| Italian: | cabolfiore | n.masc | cauliflower | W7 |
| cavolo | n.masc | cabbage | W7 | |
| fiore | n.masc | flower | W7 | |
| fioretto, fioretti | n.masc | little flower | W7 | |
| foglia | n | foil | TLL | |
| portafòglio | n.masc | wallet, portfolio | W7 | |
| portare | vb | to carry | W7 | |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Greek: | φύλλον | n.neut | leaf | RPN |
| -phyllos | afx | leaf, leaves | W7 | |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | phal | vb | to burst, blossom | ASD |
| Tocharian | ||||
| Tocharian B: | pilta | n | leaf | RPN |
| Tocharian A: | pält | n | leaf | RPN |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| abl | = | ablative (case) |
| adj | = | adjective |
| afx | = | affix |
| dim | = | diminutive |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| intrans | = | intransitive |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| pl | = | plural (number) |
| prop | = | proper |
| ptc | = | participle |
| sfx | = | suffix |
| str | = | strong (inflection) |
| trans | = | transitive |
| vb | = | verb |
| wk | = | weak (inflection) |
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) |
| CGo | = | MacDonald Stearns, Jr: Crimean Gothic (1978) |
| 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) |
| W2I | = | Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language, 2nd ed. (1959) |
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) |
