kelh₁-
“to call, to shout”call, shout
PIE root meaning to call or to shout. Source of Latin calāre, English "call," and words for summoning.
Discussion
*kelh₁- is a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to call" or "to shout," with a laryngeal *h₁ following the resonant. The root is widely attested across several branches.
In Latin, the root yields calāre ("to call, to proclaim"), from which English derives "calendar" (originally the day when months were proclaimed), "council" (from concilium), "claim," "exclaim," and "nomenclature." Greek kalein ("to call") continues the root directly and gives "ecclesiastical" via ekklēsia ("assembly, church").
In Germanic, the root appears in Old English hlowan and possibly in Middle English "call" itself, though the precise Germanic derivation of "call" is debated—some scholars favor Old Norse kalla, which may derive from this root or from a separate source.
The semantic core is vocalization directed at others: calling, shouting, summoning, proclaiming. The Latin branch especially developed institutional and religious senses—calling assemblies, declaring calendars, and naming. This root demonstrates how a basic vocal act became the foundation for concepts of social organization and communication.
Notes
Source of Latin "calāre" (to call), English "claim" via Old French.