ǵʰew-
“to pour, to offer libation”pour, libation
PIE root meaning to pour or offer a libation. Source of English "gush," Latin fundere, and words for ritual pouring.
Discussion
The root *ǵʰew- ("to pour, to offer a libation") is reconstructed in LIV² (s.v. *ǵʰew-) and Pokorny (IEW 447–448). The initial palatal *ǵʰ is confirmed by the satem reflexes in Indo-Iranian. This root carries both a physical sense (pouring liquid) and a ritual sense (offering libation to the gods).
Greek khéō (χέω, "I pour") and the noun khūmós (χυμός, "juice, sap") preserve the root faithfully; from the latter English derives chyme and chemistry (via Arabic al-kīmiyā, itself likely from Greek khūmeía, "art of pouring/alloying metals"). The noun khútra ("pot, vessel for pouring") is also related.
Latin fundere ("to pour, to cast metal") reflects a nasalized form *ǵʰu-n-d- with regular *ǵʰ > f in initial position (via an intermediate stage). From fundere come English fuse, fusion, refuse, confuse, diffuse, profuse, transfuse, foundry, and font (a casting of type). The past participle fūsus gives futile ("that which pours away, leaky").
In Germanic, Old English gēotan ("to pour") and Gothic giutan continue the root with Grimm's Law reflexes (*ǵʰ > *g). Old Norse gjóta ("to pour, to spawn") preserves the same form. Modern English gush may be a related expressive formation, though the connection is debated. Gutter (via Old French, from Latin gutta, "drop") is sometimes linked to this family.
The ritual dimension of pouring is reflected in the Greek spóndē and in Vedic juhóti ("pours, offers"), from a reduplicated present *ǵʰu-ǵʰew-ti. The connection between pouring and sacrifice runs deep in PIE religious vocabulary.
Notes
Source of Greek "khéō" (to pour), Latin "fundere". Core liquid-motion root.