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: 3. mē-, m-e-t- 'to measure'
Semantic Field(s): to Measure
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | ||||
| Old English: | mǣl, māl, mēl | n.neut | measure; time, occasion | ASD |
| mǣþ | n.fem | measure, portion | ASD/W7 | |
| mēter | n.neut | meter | ASD/W7 | |
| Middle English: | commensal | adj | commensal | W7 |
| diametre | n | diameter | W7 | |
| dimension | n | dimension | W7 | |
| geometrie | n | geometry | W7 | |
| meel | n | meal; appointed time | W7 | |
| mensal | adj | mensal | AHD | |
| mesure | n | measure | W7 | |
| meter | n | meter | W7 | |
| -metrie | n.sfx | -metry | W7 | |
| English: | bolometer | n | very sensitive resistance thermometer | AHD/W7 |
| commensal | adj | re: those who eat together | AHD/W7 | |
| commensurate | adj | coextensive, equal in measure/extent | AHD/W7 | |
| diameter | n | chord passing through center of figure/body | AHD/W7 | |
| dimension | n | extension in one direction | AHD/W7 | |
| geometry | n | mathematics re: measurement/properties/relationships of points/lines/angles etc. | AHD/W7 | |
| immense | adj | huge, marked by greatness in size/degree | AHD/W7 | |
| isometric | adj | re: equality of measure | AHD/W7 | |
| mahout | n | keeper/driver of elephant | AHD/W7 | |
| maund | n | Indian unit of weight | AHD/W7 | |
| meal | n | portion of food eaten at one time | AHD/W7 | |
| measure | n | due/adequate portion | AHD/W7 | |
| measure | vb | to govern, regulate; allot, apportion | W7 | |
| mensa | n | table | AHD | |
| mensal | adj | re: (meal) table | AHD/W7 | |
| mesa | n | isolated hill with steeply sloping sides/level top | AHD/W7 | |
| -meter | n.sfx | instrument/means for measuring | AHD/W7 | |
| meter | n | systematically arranged/measured rhythm in verse | AHD/W7 | |
| meter | n | metric unit of length | AHD/W7 | |
| metrical | adj | re: poetic meter | AHD | |
| -metry | n.sfx | art/science/process of measuring (something) | AHD/W7 | |
| parameter | n | limit, qualification | TLL | |
| piecemeal | adv | in stages, by small amounts | AHD | |
| symmetry | n | balance in proportions | AHD/W7 | |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old High German: | māl | n | time | W7 |
| meter | n.neut | meter | ASD | |
| Middle High German: | māl | n | time, mealtime, occasion | ASD |
| German: | einmal | adv | once, lit. one time | ASD |
| Mahl | n | meal, mealtime | ASD | |
| Mal | n.neut | time, occasion | ASD | |
| Meter | n.masc | meter | LRC | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Icelandic: | mál | n | time, mealtime, season | ASD |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | mēl | n.str.neut | time, season | LRC |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | dimensio, dimensionis | n.fem | dimension, measure | W7 |
| dimetior, dimetiri, dimensus | vb | to measure out | W7 | |
| immensus | adj | immeasurable | W7 | |
| mēnsa | n.fem | mensa | W7 | |
| mensura | n.fem | measure | W7 | |
| metior, metiri, mensus | vb.dep | to measure | W7 | |
| metrum | n.neut | meter, measure | W7 | |
| Late Latin: | commensuratus | vb.ptc | measured together | W7 |
| mēnsalis | adj | mensal | W7 | |
| mensuro, mensurare, mensuravi, mensuratus | vb | to measure | W7 | |
| Medieval Latin: | commensalis | adj | re: banquet/eating together | W7 |
| New Latin: | amenorrhea | n.fem | absence of menstruation | W7 |
| Spanish: | mesa | n.fem | table | W7 |
| Old French: | mesure | n.fem | measure | W7 |
| metre | n.masc | meter, measure | W7 | |
| Middle French: | diametre | n.masc | diameter | W7 |
| dimension | n.fem | dimension, measure | W7 | |
| geometrie | n.fem | geometry | W7 | |
| immense | adj | immense | W7 | |
| mètre | n.masc | meter, measure | W7 | |
| -metrie | sfx | measuring | W7 | |
| French: | mètre | n.masc | meter (unit in metric system) | W7 |
| Baltic | ||||
| Lithuanian: | mẽtas | n.masc | time | LRC |
| Latvian: | mesties, metos, metos | vb | to set in | LRC |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Greek: | geōmetrein | vb | to measure the earth | W7 |
| geōmetria | n.fem | geometry, lit. earth measurement | W7 | |
| diametros | n.fem | diameter | W7 | |
| ἔμμετρος | adj | metrical | LRC | |
| metrew | vb | to measure | W7 | |
| -metria | n.sfx | action of measuring, measurement | W7 | |
| metron | n.neut | meter, measure, meter | W7 | |
| mēn | n.masc | month | W7 | |
| symmetria | n.fem | symmetry | W7 | |
| symmetros | adj | symmetric | W7 | |
| Indic | ||||
| Hindi: | man | n | unit of weight | W7 |
| mahāwat, mahāut | n | keeper/driver of elephants | W7 | |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| adj | = | adjective |
| adv | = | adverb(ial) |
| dep | = | deponent |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| ptc | = | participle |
| sfx | = | suffix |
| str | = | strong (inflection) |
| 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) |
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| TLL | = | Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944) |
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) |
