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. sem- 'one, some, together'
Semantic Field(s): One, to Join, Unite
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | ||||
| Old Irish: | -som | enc | that one | RPN |
| English | ||||
| Old English: | same | adv | also, similarly | RPN |
| sim(b)el, symbel | adj/adv | continual, perpetual; ever, always | ASD | |
| simle | adv | ever, always | LRC | |
| -sum | sfx | -some | W7 | |
| sum | indef.adj/pron | some | LRC | |
| Middle English: | acolite | n | acolyte | W7 |
| alsaume | adv | all together | MEV | |
| as(s)emblen, as(s)emlen | vb | to assemble | CDC/W7 | |
| assembly | n | assembly, joining of battle | MEV | |
| assimilaten | vb | to assimilate | AHD | |
| bisemen | vb | to beseem | AHD | |
| omelie | n | homily | W7 | |
| resemblen | vb | to resemble | W7 | |
| sam(e), samen, somyn | adv | together | MEV | |
| same | adj | same | W7 | |
| semely | adj | seemly | W7 | |
| semen | vb | to seem | W7 | |
| simple | adj | simple | W7 | |
| simplicite | n | simplicity | W7 | |
| single | adj | single | W7 | |
| -som | sfx | -some | W7 | |
| som | indef.adj/pron | some | W7 | |
| syn- | pfx | syn- | W7 | |
| English: | acolyte | n | minister's assistant in liturgical service | AHD/W7 |
| anacoluthon | n | syntactic incoherence/inconsistency within sentence | AHD/W7 | |
| anomalous | adj | abnormal, deviating from general rule/method/analogy | AHD/W7 | |
| assemble | vb | to convoke, collect in/as one place/group | AHD/W7 | |
| assembly | n | set of persons gathered for purpose | W7 | |
| assimilate | vb | to take in as nourishment, absorb into system | AHD/W7 | |
| beseem | vb | to befit, be fitting/becoming/suitable | W7 | |
| ensemble | n | group constituting a whole/producing single effect | AHD/W7 | |
| haploid | adj | having half the number of chromosomes characteristic of somatic cells | AHD/W7 | |
| hendecasyllabic | adj | re: (verses of) 11 syllables | AHD/W7 | |
| heter(o)- | pfx | other, different | AHD | |
| heterodox | adj | contrary to/different from acknowledged standard | AHD/W7 | |
| heteroecious | adj | passing different life-cycle stages on alternate/unrelated hosts | AHD/W7 | |
| heterogeneous | adj | mixed, consisting of dissimilar parts | AHD/W7 | |
| heteronym | n | two/more words with same spelling but different meanings/pronunciations | AHD | |
| heteronymous | adj | re: heteronym | AHD | |
| homeo- | pfx | like, similar | AHD | |
| homily | n | religious discourse before congregation | AHD/W7 | |
| hom(o)- | pfx | same, like | AHD | |
| homolographic | adj | preserving mutual relations of parts | AHD/W7 | |
| homosexual | adj/n | (re:) individual attracted to same sex | TLL | |
| hyphen | n | punctuation mark (-) | AHD/W7 | |
| resemble | vb.trans | to be like/similar to | AHD/W7 | |
| sambal | n | spicy condiment of Malaysia/Indonesia | AHD | |
| same | adj | resembling in all relevant respects | AHD/W7 | |
| samhita | n | collection of sacred/devotional Sanskrit hymns | AHD | |
| samizdat | n | secret publication/distribution of Soviet-banned literature | AHD | |
| Samkhya, Sankhya | prop.n | orthodox Hindu philosophy, lit. based on calculation | LRC | |
| samsara | n | eternal cycle: birth, misery, death | AHD/W7 | |
| seem | vb.intrans | to appear, give impression of being | AHD/W7 | |
| seemly | adj | handsome, good-looking | AHD/W7 | |
| semplice | adj | simple, unaffected | AHD/W7 | |
| sempre | adv | always | AHD/W7 | |
| Simbelmynë | prop.n | a.k.a. Evermind in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| similar | adj | marked by resemblance/correspondence | AHD/W7 | |
| simple | adj | innocent, free from guile | AHD/W7 | |
| simplex | adj | single, simple | AHD/W7 | |
| simplicity | n | state of being simple/uncompounded | AHD/W7 | |
| simultaneous | adj | coincident, existing/occurring at same time | AHD/W7 | |
| single | adj | solitary, singular; unmarried | AHD/W7 | |
| -some | adj.sfx | characterized by (specified) thing/state/action/quality | AHD/W7 | |
| some | indef.adj/pron | re: one unknown/undetermined/unspecified unit/thing | AHD/W7 | |
| soviet | n | elected governmental council in Communist country | AHD/W7 | |
| sym-, syn- | pfx | (along/together) with | AHD/W7 | |
| synalepha | n | blending of successive vowels into one syllable | AHD | |
| syngeneic | adj | genetically identical, closely related, immunologically compatible | AHD | |
| synonymous | adj | having same/similar meaning | AHD | |
| synost(e)osis | n | union via bone, fusion of normally separate bones | AHD/CDC | |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | sum | pron.indef | some | ASD |
| Old Saxon: | sum | pron.indef | some | ASD |
| Old High German: | -sam | sfx | -some | W7 |
| sama | adj | same | W7 | |
| samo | adj | same | RPN | |
| sum | adj/pron.indef | some | ASD/W7 | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | sama | vb | to beseem | LRC |
| saman | adv | together | LRC | |
| samr | adj | same | LRC | |
| samr | adj | same | W7 | |
| soemiligr | adj | seemly, becoming | W7 | |
| soemr | adj | seemly, becoming | W7 | |
| sóma, sómad | vb | to beseem, become | LRC | |
| sumr | adj | some | LRC | |
| Icelandic: | sumr | pron.indef | some | ASD |
| Danish: | som | conj | as | TLL |
| Swedish: | som | conj | as | TLL |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | sama | adj | same | LRC |
| sinteins | adj | daily | LRC | |
| sums | pron.indef | some, one | LRC | |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | adsimilare, assimilare | vb | to feign, imitate, simulate | CDC |
| assimilare | vb | to assemble, bring together | CDC | |
| assimulo, assimulare | vb | to feign, make similar | W7 | |
| hendecasyllabus | n.masc | line of eleven syllables | W7 | |
| insimul | adv | at same time | W7 | |
| semper | adv | ever, always | W7 | |
| sim- | pfx | one | W7 | |
| similis | adj | like, similar | RPN | |
| similo, similare | vb | to copy | W7 | |
| simplex, simplicis | adj | single, simple, unmixed | W7 | |
| simplicitas, simplicitatis | n.fem | simplicity | W7 | |
| simplus | adj | plain, single | W7 | |
| simul | adv | together, at same time | LRC | |
| simulis | adj | like | W7 | |
| simulo, simulare | vb | to feign, copy, represent | W7 | |
| singulus | adj | only one | W7 | |
| syn- | pfx | syn- | W7 | |
| Vulgar Latin: | assimulo, assimulāre | vb | to compare, imitate | W7 |
| Late Latin: | anacoluthon | adj | inconsistent in logic | W7 |
| anomalus | adj | anomalous | AHD | |
| homilia | n.fem | discourse, homily | W7 | |
| Middle Latin: | assimulare | vb | to assemble, bring together | CDC |
| Medieval Latin: | acoluthus | adj | that follows | W7 |
| acolytus | n | acolyte | AHD | |
| assimilatus | vb.ptc | assimilated | W7 | |
| assimilo, assimilare | vb | to assimilate | W7 | |
| simultaneus | adj | simultaneous, at same time | W7 | |
| Old Spanish: | asemblar | vb | to assemble | CDC |
| Old French: | acolite | n.masc | follower | W7 |
| assemblee | n | assembly, joining of battle | MEV | |
| as(s)embler, assambler | vb | to gather, assemble | CDC/W7 | |
| resembler | vb | to resemble | W7 | |
| sembler | vb | to seem, be like | W7 | |
| simple | adj | plain, artless, uncomplicated | W7 | |
| syn- | pfx | syn- | W7 | |
| Middle French: | omelie | n.fem | discourse, homily | W7 |
| resembler | vb | to resemble | W7 | |
| simplicité | n.fem | simplicity | W7 | |
| French: | ensemble | adv | together | W7 |
| similaire | adj | similar | W7 | |
| Old Occitan: | assemblar, asemlar | vb | to assemble | CDC |
| Italian: | assemblare, assembrare | vb | to assemble | CDC |
| semplice | adj | simple, unmixed | CID/W7 | |
| sempre | adv | always, ever | CID/W7 | |
| Baltic | ||||
| Lithuanian: | sù | prep | with | LRC |
| Slavic | ||||
| Old Church Slavonic: | samъ | adj | same | RPN |
| samъ | pron | self, oneself | LRC | |
| sъ | prep | with | LRC | |
| sъvęzati, sъvęzajǫ, sъvęzaješi | vb | to tie, bind | LRC | |
| Russian: | so | prep | with | W7 |
| Albanian | ||||
| Albanian: | gjith | adj | all, whole, entire | IEW |
| gjithmonë | adv | always | LRC | |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Greek: | akolouthos | adj | following | W7 |
| ἅμα | adv | at the same time | LRC | |
| hama | adv | together | W7 | |
| hamē | adv | somehow | W7 | |
| anakolouthon | adj | inconsistency in logic | W7 | |
| anakolouthos | adj | inconsistent in logic | W7 | |
| anōmalos | adj | uneven | W7 | |
| haploeidēs | adj | single | W7 | |
| haploos | adj | single | W7 | |
| ἀφομοιο̑ω | vb | to make like | LRC | |
| εἷς | nbr/adj | one | LRC | |
| heis | nbr | one | W7 | |
| hen | nbr.neut | one | W7 | |
| hendeka | nbr | eleven | W7 | |
| keleuthos | n.fem | path | W7 | |
| homalos | adj | even | W7 | |
| homilein | vb | to consort with, address | W7 | |
| ὁμιλέω | vb | to consort with, busy oneself with | LRC | |
| ὁμιλία | n.fem | being together | LRC | |
| homilia | n.fem | conversation, discourse, reunion | W7 | |
| homilos | n.masc | crowd, assembly | W7 | |
| ὅμοιος | adj | like, similar | LRC | |
| ὁμοίως | adv | similarly | LRC | |
| ὁμός | adj | same | RPN | |
| homos | adj | same | W7 | |
| ὁμοῦ | adv | together | LRC | |
| οὐδαμοῦ | adv | nowhere | LRC | |
| οὐδαμῶς | adv | by no means | LRC | |
| σύν | prep | with | LRC | |
| syn | prep | (together) with | W7 | |
| hyphen | adv | in a whole | W7 | |
| Late Greek: | anakolouthon | adj | inconsistency in logic | W7 |
| homilia | n.fem | homily | W7 | |
| Medieval Greek: | akolouthos | adj | that follows | W7 |
| Armenian | ||||
| Classical Armenian: | amenayn | adj | all, every | LRC |
| amenayn | n | everyone | LRC | |
| hez | adj | meek | LRC | |
| mi | adj | one | LRC | |
| Iranian | ||||
| Old Persian: | hama- | adj | same, equal | RPN |
| Avestan: | hāma- | adj | like | RPN |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | saṁsāra | n | lit. flowing/passing through | W7 |
| samá-ḥ | adj | same, equal | RPN | |
| sám | adv | together | LRC | |
| sāṁkhya | n | Samkhya: salvation by knowing matter vs. soul distinction | W7 | |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| adj | = | adjective |
| adv | = | adverb(ial) |
| conj | = | conjunction |
| enc | = | enclitic |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| indef | = | indefinite |
| intrans | = | intransitive |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| nbr | = | number |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| pfx | = | prefix |
| 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) |
| CID | = | Cassell's Italian Dictionary (1958) |
| 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) |
