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: 1. k̑er-, k̑erə- : k̑rā-, k̑erei-, k̑ereu- 'horn, head, upper part of body'
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | ||||
| Middle Irish: | corn | n | drinking-horn | GED |
| Breton: | corn | n | drinking-horn | GED |
| karn | n | hoof of unicorn | GED | |
| Cornish: | carow | n | deer | GED |
| corn | n | drinking-horn | GED | |
| karn | n | hoof of unicorn | GED | |
| Welsh: | carw | n | deer | GED |
| corn | n | drinking-horn | GED | |
| karn | n | hoof of unicorn | GED | |
| Gaulish: | *carnon | n | horn; trumpet | GED |
| carnuātus | adj | horned | GED | |
| English | ||||
| Old English: | ān-horn(a) | n.wk.masc | unicorn, lit. one-horn | GED |
| heor(o)t | n.masc | hart, stag | ASD/RPN | |
| horn | n.str.neut | horn | RPN | |
| hyrne | n.fem | horn, angle, corner | ASD | |
| hyrnet(u) | n.fem | hornet | ASD/W7 | |
| Middle English: | Capricorne | prop.n | Capricorn | W7 |
| cerastes | n | cerastes | W7 | |
| corne | n | corn | W7 | |
| corner | n | corner | W7 | |
| cornet | n | cornet | W7 | |
| hernet | n | hornet | W7 | |
| hert | n | hart | W7 | |
| horn | n | horn | W7 | |
| Monoceros | prop.n | Monoceros | AHD | |
| rinoceros | n | rhinoceros | W7 | |
| unicorne | n | unicorn | W7 | |
| English: | alpenhorn | n | straight wooden Swiss horn 7-15 feet long | AHD/W7 |
| althorn | n | alto member of saxhorn family | AHD/W7 | |
| bicornuate | adj | re: 2 horns/horn-shaped processes | AHD/W7 | |
| Capricorn | prop.n | southern zodiacal constellation | LRC | |
| carat | n | unit of weight (for gold/jewels) | AHD/CDC | |
| carotene | n | orange/red crystalline hydrocarbon pigment | AHD/W7 | |
| carotid | adj | re: chief artery (pair) through neck to head | AHD/W7 | |
| carrot | n | biennial herb/root vegetable | AHD/W7 | |
| cerastes | n | venomous viper | AHD/W7 | |
| ceratopsian | n | herbivorous ornithischian dinosaur | AHD | |
| cerebellum | n | large dorsal part of brain | AHD/W7 | |
| cerebrum | n | brain, encephalon | AHD/CDC | |
| cervine | adj | re: deer | AHD/W7 | |
| cervix | n | neck | AHD/W7 | |
| cheer | n | joy, gaiety, lightness of mood/spirits | AHD | |
| chelicera | n | anterior arachnid appendage | AHD/W7 | |
| corn | n | local hardening/thickening of epidermis | AHD/W7 | |
| cornea | n | transparent part of eyeball covering iris/pupil | AHD/W7 | |
| corneous | adj | horny | AHD/W7 | |
| corner | n | angle, point where lines/edges/sides meet | AHD/W7 | |
| cornet | n | valved brass wind instrument resembling trumpet | AHD/W7 | |
| corniculate | adj | re: small horn-shaped processes | AHD/W7 | |
| cornification | n | conversion of body cells into hair/nails/feathers | AHD | |
| cornu | n | horn, part/structure resembling horn | AHD | |
| corydalis | n | herb of fumitory family | AHD/W7 | |
| corymb | n | flat-topped inflorescence | AHD/W7 | |
| corynebacterium | n | rod-shaped bacterium | AHD | |
| coryphaeus | n | chorus leader | AHD/W7 | |
| cranium | n | skull | AHD/W7 | |
| criosphinx | n | sphinx with ram's head | AHD | |
| flugelhorn | n | bugle with valves | AHD | |
| hart | n | stag, male red deer | AHD/W7 | |
| hartebeest | n | large African antelope | AHD | |
| Horn | prop.n | Rohan rider in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| horn | n | bony process on upper part of head; instrument made thereof | AHD/W7 | |
| hornbeam | n | (type of) hardwood tree | AHD | |
| hornblende | n | amphibolic mineral in igneous rock | AHD | |
| Hornburg | prop.n | Rohan fortress in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| hornet | n | large social wasp | AHD/W7 | |
| hornfels | n | fine-grained metamorphic rock | AHD | |
| Hornrock | prop.n | Hornburg site in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| keratin | n | tough insoluble protein in horn (etc.) | AHD | |
| lamellicorn | adj | re: antennae ending in flat plates | AHD/W7 | |
| longhorn | n | Texas cattle breed | LRC | |
| longicorn | adj | re: long-horned beetles | AHD/W7 | |
| migraine | n | recurrent severe headache | AHD/W7 | |
| Monoceros | prop.n | Unicorn (northern constellation) | AHD | |
| olecranon | n | process of ulna projecting behind elbow joint | AHD/W7 | |
| Redhorn | prop.n | Misty Mountains peak in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| rhinoceros | n | thick-skinned herbivorous perissodactyl mammal | AHD/W7 | |
| rinderpest | n | acute infectious febrile cattle disease | AHD/W7 | |
| saveloy | n | ready-cooked dry sausage | AHD/W7 | |
| serval | n | long-legged African wildcat | AHD/W7 | |
| Starkhorn | prop.n | Rohan mountain in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| tarboosh | n | brimless felt cap with silk tassel | AHD | |
| Thrihyrne | prop.n | Helm's Deep mountain in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| triceratops | n | herbivorous dinosaur of Cretaceous Period | AHD | |
| tricorn | adj | re: 3 horns/corners | AHD/W7 | |
| unicorn | n | fabulous animal depicted with single horn in forehead | AHD/W7 | |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | herne | n | horn, corner, angle | ASD |
| horn | n.str.neut | horn | GED | |
| Middle Dutch: | hertebeest | n | hartebeest, lit. horn-beast | AHD |
| Dutch: | hersen | n | brain; crown, top of head | GED/IEW |
| hoorn | n | horn | TLL | |
| Afrikaans: | hartebeest | n.obs | hartebeest | AHD |
| Old Saxon: | hirot | n | hart | GED |
| hōh-hurnid | adj | having large horns | GED | |
| horn | n.str.neut | horn | RPN | |
| Old High German: | althorn | n | althorn | AHD |
| ein-hurno | n.wk.masc | unicorn, lit. one-horn | GED | |
| hirni | n.str.neut | brain | GED | |
| hiruz | n.str.masc | hart | GED | |
| horn | n.str.neut | horn | RPN | |
| hornaz, hornuz | n | hornet | ASD/W7 | |
| hrind | n.neut | ox | AHD | |
| hurnen | vb.wk | to equip with horns | GED | |
| Middle High German: | althorn | n | althorn | AHD |
| German: | Alpenhorn | n.neut | alpenhorn | W7 |
| Althorn | n.neut | althorn | W7 | |
| Einhorn | n.neut | unicorn | LRC | |
| Flügelhorn | n.neut | trumpet, flugelhorn | LRC | |
| Gehirn | n.neut | brain(s); sense | TLL | |
| Hirn | n.neut | brain | LRC | |
| Hirsch | n | hart | ASD | |
| Horn | n.neut | horn | W7 | |
| Horniss | n | hornet | ASD | |
| Karotte | n | carrot | TLL | |
| Rind | n.neut | ox, cow | W7 | |
| Rinderpest | n.fem | rinderpest | W7 | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Runic: | horna | n.acc.sg | horn | GED |
| Old Norse: | horn | n.neut | horn; drinking horn; corner | LRC |
| hyrna | n | beak; corner of axe | KNW | |
| Old Icelandic: | hjarni | n.masc | brain | RPN |
| hjarsi | n.masc | crown, top of head | RPN | |
| hjörtr | n | hart, stag | RPN | |
| horn | n.str.neut | horn | GED | |
| Icelandic: | hjörtr | n | hart | ASD |
| hyra | n | horn/point (of ax-head), mountain peak | ASD | |
| Danish: | hjerne | n | brain | TLL |
| hjørne | n | corner | TLL | |
| horn | n | horn | TLL | |
| Swedish: | hjärna | n | brain | TLL |
| horn | n | horn | TLL | |
| hörn | n | angle, corner | SAO/TLL | |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | haurn | n.neut | horn | RPN |
| *haurnja | n | flute (horn) player | GED | |
| *haurnjan | vb | to blow/sound a horn | GED | |
| þut-haurn | n.neut | trumpet | GED | |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | Capricornus | prop.n.masc | Capricorn, lit. Goat-horn | W7 |
| cerebellum | n.neut | part of brain | W7 | |
| cerebrum | n.neut | brain | RPN | |
| cervical, cervicalis | n.neut | pillow | LRC | |
| cervinus | adj | of a deer | W7 | |
| cervix, cervicis | n.neut | neck | W7 | |
| cervus | n.masc | deer, stag | RPN | |
| cornea | n.fem | cornea | W7 | |
| corneus | adj | horny | W7 | |
| corniculatus | adj | corniculate | W7 | |
| corniculum | n.neut | small horn | W7 | |
| cornū | n.neut | horn | RPN | |
| corymbus | n.masc | cluster of fruit/flowers | W7 | |
| coryphaeus | n.masc | coryphee | W7 | |
| crabro | n.masc | hornet | W7 | |
| rhinoceros, rhinocerotos | n.masc | rhinoceros | W7 | |
| tricornis | adj | with three horns | W7 | |
| unicornis | adj | with one horn | W7 | |
| Late Latin: | carota | n.fem | carrot | W7 |
| hemicrania | n.fem | pain in one side of the head | W7 | |
| unicornis | adj | unicorn, that has only one horn | W7 | |
| Medieval Latin: | cranium | n.neut | cranium, skull | W7 |
| New Latin: | chelicera | n.fem | one of the anterior horns of arachnids | W7 |
| corydalis | n.fem | a genus of herbs | W7 | |
| Old French: | corne | n.fem | horn | W7 |
| cornere | vb | to blow a horn | W7 | |
| unicorne | n.masc/fem | unicorn | W7 | |
| Middle French: | carotte | n.fem | carrot | W7 |
| corne | n.fem | horn, corner | W7 | |
| cornet | n.masc | cornet | W7 | |
| French: | carotide | n.fem | carotid, artery | W7 |
| cervelas | n.masc | a type of sausage | R1/W7 | |
| chélicère | n.fem | cephalic appendice of the arachnids and limules | R1/W7 | |
| corymbe | n.masc | type of inflorescence | R1/W7 | |
| migraine | n.fem | headache | W7 | |
| serval | n.masc | small feline African animal | W7 | |
| Baltic | ||||
| Old Prussian: | curwis | n | ox | GED |
| sirwis | n | deer | GED | |
| Lithuanian: | kárvė | n | cow | GED |
| Latvian: | sirnas | n.pl | deer | GED |
| Slavic | ||||
| Old Church Slavonic: | krava | n | cow | GED |
| srьna | n | horn | GED | |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Hesychius' Greek Lexicon: | κάρνυξ | n | trumpet | GED |
| Ionic: | κάρη | n.neut | head; top part | RPN |
| Attic: | κάρᾱ | n.neut | head; top part | RPN |
| Greek: | hēmikrania | n.fem | pain in one side of the head | W7 |
| κάρνον | n | horn; trumpet | GED | |
| karoun | vb | to stupefy | W7 | |
| karōtides | n.fem.pl | carotid arteries | W7 | |
| karōton | n.neut | carrot | W7 | |
| κεραός | adj | horned | RPN | |
| κέρας | n.neut | head, animal's horn | RPN | |
| kerastēs | adj | horned | W7 | |
| κερα(Ϝ)ός | adj | horned | GED | |
| korydallis | n.fem | crested lark | W7 | |
| κόρυδος | n | crested lark | GED | |
| korymbos | n.masc | cluster of fruit/flowers | W7 | |
| koryphaios | n.masc | coryphaeus | W7 | |
| κορυφή | n.fem | summit | RPN | |
| κρᾱνίον | n.neut | skull, upper part of head | RPN | |
| κριός | n.masc | ram | LS | |
| rhinokerōs, rhinokerōtos | n.masc | rhinoceros | W7 | |
| chēlē | n.fem | claw | W7 | |
| ōlekranon | n.neut | elbow | W7 | |
| Anatolian | ||||
| Hittite: | karau̯ar | n | horn | GED |
| Armenian | ||||
| Armenian: | sar | n | top, peak, summit | RPN |
| Iranian | ||||
| Persian: | sar | n | head | AHD |
| sarpūsh | n | headdress, tarboosh | AHD | |
| Avestan: | sarah- | n | head | GED |
| srū-, sr̥vā | n | horn, nail | GED | |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | śíras- | n.neut | head, skull | RPN |
| śīrṣá-ḥ | n | head, skull; top, upper part | RPN | |
| śīrṣán- | n | head | RPN | |
| śŕ̥ṅga-m | n.neut | horn, tusk; peak, point | RPN | |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| acc | = | accusative (case) |
| adj | = | adjective |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| obs | = | obsolete |
| pl | = | plural (number) |
| prop | = | proper |
| sg | = | singular (number) |
| str | = | strong (inflection) |
| 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) |
| GED | = | Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986) |
| IEW | = | Julius Pokorny: Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (1959) |
| KNW | = | Gerhard Köbler: Altnordisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed. (2003) |
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| LS | = | Liddell and Scott: Greek-English Lexicon, 7th-9th ed's (1882-1940), rev. |
| R1 | = | Josette Rey-Debove and Alain Rey, eds. Le Nouveau Petit Robert (1993) |
| RPN | = | Allan R. Bomhard: Reconstructing Proto-Nostratic (2002) |
| SAO | = | Swedish Academy: Svenska Akademiens Ordbok (2011) |
| TLL | = | Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944) |
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) |
