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: 7. u̯el-, u̯elə-, u̯lē- 'to turn, wind; round, voluble'
Semantic Field(s): to Turn, to Wind, Wrap, Round (adj)
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | ||||
| Old English: | gewealc | n.neut | rolling, tossing | LRC |
| stæð-weall | n.masc | shore-wall | LRC | |
| walu | n.fem | wale | W7 | |
| wealcan | vb | to roll, toss | W7 | |
| wealcian | vb | to roll up, muffle up | W7 | |
| weall | n.masc | wall, rampart | LRC | |
| weallan | vb | to (cause to) well, boil, bubble | W7 | |
| wealwian | vb | to roll | W7 | |
| welig | n.masc | willow | W7 | |
| weoloc | n.masc | whelk, shell-fish | W7 | |
| wiella | n | well | W7 | |
| wile- | n | weel, fishtrap | W2I | |
| wilige | n.fem | willy, basket | ASD/W2I | |
| wyllan | vb | to wish | W7 | |
| Northumbrian: | welle | n | well | W7 |
| Middle English: | avalen | vb | to let fall | W7 |
| devolven | vb | to devolve | W7 | |
| intervalle | n | interval | W7 | |
| involven | vb | to involve, roll/wrap up | W7 | |
| revolven | vb | to revolve | W7 | |
| vale | n | vale | W7 | |
| valen | vb | to vail, sink, reduce | W7 | |
| valey | n | valley | W7 | |
| volume | n | volume | W7 | |
| voute | n | vault | W7 | |
| wal | n | wale, choice | W7 | |
| wale | n | wale, weal | W7 | |
| walet | n | wallet | W7 | |
| walken | vb | to walk | W7 | |
| walkien | vb | to walk | W7 | |
| wall | n | wall | W7 | |
| walwen | vb | to wallow | W7 | |
| welke | n | whelk | W7 | |
| welle | n | well | W7 | |
| wellen | vb | to well | W7 | |
| welteren | vb | to roll, toss, turn over | W7 | |
| wilghe | n | willow | W7 | |
| wilowe | n | willow | W7 | |
| English: | anthelmintic | adj | expelling/destroying parasitic intestinal worms | AHD/W7 |
| archivolt | n | ornamental molding around arch | AHD/W7 | |
| circumvolve | vb | to roll about, (cause to) revolve | AHD/CDC | |
| convolve | vb | to writhe, roll together | AHD/W7 | |
| devolve | vb | to roll onward/downward | AHD/W7 | |
| elecampane | n | coarse European composite herb | AHD/W7 | |
| elytron | n | anterior wing protecting posterior wing | AHD/W7 | |
| evolve | vb | to emit, give off | AHD/W7 | |
| helicon | n | large circular bass tuba | AHD/W7 | |
| helicopter | n | rotary-winged aircraft | AHD/W7 | |
| helix | n | something spiral in form | AHD/W7 | |
| helminth | n | worm | AHD/W7 | |
| ileus | n | bowel obstruction | AHD/W7 | |
| interval | n | pause, time between states/events | AHD/W7 | |
| inulin | n | tasteless white polysaccharide | AHD/W7 | |
| involucrum | n | surrounding sheath/envelope | AHD/W7 | |
| involve | vb.trans | to enfold/envelop (thus encumber) | AHD/W7 | |
| multivoltine | adj | producing several broods per season | AHD | |
| mycelium | n | interwoven filamentous hyphae mass | AHD/W7 | |
| neurilemma | n | outer sheath of nerve fiber | AHD/W7 | |
| platyhelminth | n | soft-bodied flattened worm | AHD/W7 | |
| revolve | vb | to ponder, turn over in mind | AHD/W7 | |
| vail | vb.trans | to lower (as sign of respect/submission) | AHD/W7 | |
| vale | n | dale, valley | AHD/W7 | |
| vallation | n | rampart, earthwork wall | AHD/W7 | |
| valley | n | elongated depression between hills/mountains | AHD/W7 | |
| valve | n | leaf of folding/double door | AHD/W7 | |
| valvule | n | small valve/valvular structure | AHD/W7 | |
| vault | n | arched (masonry) structure | AHD/W7 | |
| vault | vb | to bound vigorously | AHD/W7 | |
| volt | n | horse tread/gait: turning around center while going sideways | AHD/W7 | |
| voluble | adj | rotating, easily rolling/turning | AHD/W7 | |
| volume | n | scroll | AHD/W7 | |
| volute | n | scroll/spiral-shaped form | AHD/W7 | |
| volutin | n | granular basophilic substance in microorganisms | AHD/W7 | |
| volva | n | membranous sac/cup in gill fungus | AHD/W7 | |
| volvox | n | green flagellate in spherical colony | AHD/W7 | |
| voussoir | n | wedge-shaped piece forming arch/vault | AHD/W7 | |
| vulva | n | external part of female genital organs | AHD/W7 | |
| wale | n | weal, welt, streak/ridge on skin | AHD/W7 | |
| walk | vb | to roam/wander on foot | AHD/W7 | |
| wall | n | long high thick rampart/enclosure | AHD/W7 | |
| wallet | n | bag carrying miscellaneous travel articles | AHD/W7 | |
| wallow | vb.intrans | to roll about in indolent/ungainly manner | AHD/W7 | |
| waltz | n | round dance in 3/4 time | AHD/W7 | |
| weel | n | slotted/wickerwork fishtrap | W2I | |
| well | n | pool fed by spring, water issuing from earth | AHD/W7 | |
| well | vb | to pour forth, rise to surface | W7 | |
| Wellinghall | prop.n | Ent dwelling behind waterfall in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| wellspring | n | fountainhead, source of supply | W7 | |
| welter | vb.intrans | to toss, writhe | AHD/W7 | |
| whelk | n | large marine snail | AHD/W7 | |
| Whitwell | prop.n | Shire village in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| Willow | prop.n | evil old Shire tree in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| willow | n | tree/shrub in family Salicaceae | AHD/W7 | |
| willy | n | large wicker basket | W2I | |
| British English: | wale | n | choice | AHD/W7 |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | wal | n.masc | wall | ASD |
| walla | vb | to well, spring out, bubble forth | ASD | |
| Middle Dutch: | walken | vb | to knead, press, full | W7 |
| welteren | vb | to roll | W7 | |
| Dutch: | vallei | n | valley | TLL |
| wilg | n | willow | TLL | |
| Old Saxon: | wal | n.masc | wall | ASD |
| wallan | vb | to well, boil, burn | ASD | |
| Old High German: | ge-walchen | vb | to thicken, condense | ASD |
| wala | n | wale, choice | W7 | |
| wallan | vb | to well, bubble, grow hot | ASD | |
| walzan | vb | to turn, roll | W7 | |
| wella | n | wave | W7 | |
| Middle High German: | wall | n | wall | W7 |
| wellen | vb | to (cause to) well | W7 | |
| wilge | n | willow | W7 | |
| German: | Inulin | n | inulin | W7 |
| Volutin | n | volutin | W7 | |
| walzen | vb | to roll, dance | W7 | |
| Walzer | n.masc | waltz | W7 | |
| Welle | n | wave | TLL | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | val | n | choice | W7 |
| valr | adj | round | W7 | |
| völr | n | round stick | W7 | |
| Icelandic: | valka | vb.wk | to roll | ASD |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | convolvo, convolvere | vb | to roll up/together | W7 |
| devolvo, devolvere | vb | to roll down | W7 | |
| evolvo, evolvere | vb | to unroll | W7 | |
| ileus | n.masc | intestinal osbtruction | W7 | |
| intervallum | n.neut | interval, space between ramparts | W7 | |
| inula | n.fem | elecampane (an herb) | W7 | |
| involucrum | n.neut | involucrum | W7 | |
| involvo, involvere | vb | to involve, wrap/roll in | W7 | |
| revolvo, revolvere | vb | to revolve, roll back | W7 | |
| valgus | adj | bow-legged | W7 | |
| vallatus | vb.ptc | surrounded by walls | W7 | |
| valles, vallis | n.fem | valley | W7 | |
| vallum | n.neut | rampart | W7 | |
| vallus | n.masc | stake, palisade | W7 | |
| valva | n.fem | one battant of double door | W7 | |
| volubilis | adj | volubile, talkative | W7 | |
| volumen | n.neut | volume, roll of writing | W7 | |
| voluta | n.fem | volute | W7 | |
| volva, vulva | n.fem | covering, integument | W7 | |
| volvō, volvere, volvī, volūtum | vb | to roll, undergo, turn around | LRC | |
| volvox | adj | rolling | W7 | |
| Vulgar Latin: | volsorium | n.neut | voussoir | W7 |
| volsus | vb.ptc | turned, vaulted | W7 | |
| volvita | n.fem | turn, vault | W7 | |
| volvito, volvitāre | vb | to turn, leap | W7 | |
| Late Latin: | vallatio, vallationis | n.fem | earthwork wall | W7 |
| Medieval Latin: | archivoltum | n.neut | archivolt | W7 |
| enula | n.fem | elecampane (an herb) | W7 | |
| New Latin: | elytron | n.neut | sheath, wing cover | W7 |
| mycelium | n.neut | mycelium | W7 | |
| neurilemma | n.neut | neurilemma | W7 | |
| valva | n.fem | valve | W7 | |
| valvula | n.fem.dim | small valve | W7 | |
| volvox | n.masc | genus of green flagellates | W7 | |
| vulva | n.fem | vulva | W7 | |
| Old French: | aval | n.masc | downward | W7 |
| avaler | vb | to swallow | W7 | |
| val | n.masc | little valley | W7 | |
| valee | n.fem | valley | W7 | |
| Middle French: | avaler | vb | to swallow, let fall | W7 |
| intervalle | n.masc | interval | W7 | |
| valer | vb | to let fall | W7 | |
| volter | vb | to turn | W7 | |
| voluble | adj | rotating | W7 | |
| volume | n.masc | book, volume | W7 | |
| voûte | n.fem | vault | W7 | |
| French: | archivolte | n | archivolt | CDC |
| hélice | n | helix, propeller | TLL | |
| hélicoptère | n.masc | helicopter | W7 | |
| val | n.masc | valley | W7 | |
| volte | n.fem | turn | W7 | |
| voussoir | n.masc | voussoir | W7 | |
| Old Italian: | voltare | vb | to turn, leap | W7 |
| Italian: | archivolto | n | archivolt | CDC |
| vòlta | n.fem | turn, direction | W7 | |
| Baltic | ||||
| Lithuanian: | vėl | adv | again | LRC |
| Latvian: | vēl | adv | still, yet | LRC |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Homeric Greek: | ἑλιξ | n.fem | coil/spiral-shaped thing | LS |
| Greek: | εἰλεός | n.masc | ileus | LS |
| εἰλέω | vb | to turn, wind, roll | LS | |
| εἴλημα | n.neut | coil, wrapper, covering | LS | |
| ἑλῐκη | n.fem | coil, spiral, willow | LS | |
| ἕλμινς | n.fem | (parasitic) worm | LS | |
| ἑ̑λος | n.masc | nail; wart, callus | LS | |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | ulva | n | womb | W7 |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| adj | = | adjective |
| adv | = | adverb(ial) |
| dim | = | diminutive |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| intrans | = | intransitive |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| prop | = | proper |
| ptc | = | participle |
| 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) |
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| LS | = | Liddell and Scott: Greek-English Lexicon, 7th-9th ed's (1882-1940), rev. |
| 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) |