PIE Roots

An index of reconstructed Proto-Indo-European roots. Each entry links to a full page with descendant tables, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.

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B14 roots

Root	Meaning	Semantic Field	Confidence
bʰardʰeh₂	beard, facial hair	bodybiology	high
bʰeh₁-tl-	instrument of speaking, lips	communicationbody	high
bʰelǵʰ-	to swell, to gird with a belt	clothdressbody	medium
bʰer-d-	to cut with a sharp edge, to shave	bodytool	high
bʰer-mn̥-₂	something carried, a burden	actionbody	high
bʰer-s-	top, point, bristling tip	agriculturebody	medium
bʰers-	to bristle, to stand on end	body	medium
bʰewg-	to bend, to flex	bodyaction	high
bʰleg-mn̥	burning, inflammation	firebodymedicine	high
bʰleh₁-d-	to gush out, to flow with blood	bodymedicine	high
bʰlendʰ-₂	to become unclear in vision, to be blind	visionbody	high
bʰlewH-	to overflow, to well up	waterbody	medium
bʰreh₁g-	to smell, to breathe	sensesbody	high
bʰruH-mn̥	bridge, brow, eyebrow	bodyarchitecture	high

D3 roots

dent-	tooth, fang, biting edge	bodybiology	high
dent-eh₂	set of teeth, dentition	bodyanatomy	high
dʰeh₁-l-	to suckle, nurse	nurturekinshipbody	high

G33 roots

ǵembʰ-	to bite, tooth, comb	bodytool	high	0
gerh₂-	to grow old, to mature	bodytime	high	0
ǵerh₂-mn̥	old age, the aging process	bodytime	high	0
ǵerh₂-s-	to grow old, to wither	bodytime	high	0
ǵheh₁-bʰ-	to yawn open, to gape	bodysound	high	0
gʰeh₂-n-	to gape open, to yawn wide	body	medium	0
gʰel-n-	gall, bile, bitter	bodytasteemotion	high	0
gʰel-s-	bile, bitter yellow fluid	bodymedicine	high	0
gʰer-mn̥-	gut, intestine, cord	bodyanatomy	medium	0
ghes-	to eat, to consume food	foodbody	medium	0
ǵhes-r-	hand (nominal)	bodyhand	high	0
ǵhes-tó-	held by hand, handled	bodycontrol	medium	0
gʰesd-	hand, seize by hand	bodyaction	high	0
ǵʰésr̥	hand, grasping limb	bodybiology	medium	0
ǵheysd-mn̥	hand, the grasping organ	bodymedicine	high	0
gʰrebʰ-₄	to seize, to take hold of	actionbody	high	0
ǵneh₃-bʰ-	to gnaw, to scrape with teeth	bodyaction	medium	0
ǵombʰ-	tooth, row of teeth, to bite	bodytool	medium	0
ǵónu	knee, leg joint	body	high	13
ǵónu-bʰ-	of the knee, bent at angle	bodyposture	high	0
gʷelh₃-	to pierce, to sting, pain	bodymaking	medium	0
gʷelh₁-mn̥	pain, torment, wounding	bodyemotion	medium	0
gʷelh₃-mn̥	an acorn, a nut	foodbody	medium	0
gʷelh₁-s-	to cause pain, to wound	bodyemotion	medium	0
gʷen-tro-	womb, belly, inner cavity	bodyanatomy	high	0
gʷer-₂	to swallow, devour	consumptionbody	high	0
gʷer-mn̥	that which devours, throat	bodyconsumption	medium	0
gʷerh₃-	to swallow, to devour	bodysustenance	medium	11
gʷerh₃-₂	to swallow, eat greedily	consumptionbody	high	0
gʷerh₃-mn̥	that which devours, throat/abyss	bodyconsumption	high	0
gʷerh₃-s-	to devour, consuming greedily	foodbody	high	0
gʷeyh₃-	to live, to be alive	bodybiology	high	0
ǵyewh₁-	to chew, to masticate	foodbody	medium	0

H47 roots

h₃bʰel-	to swell, inflate, blow	swellingbody	high	0
h₁ed-	to eat, to consume	bodysustenance	high	27
h₃eḱ-₂	to see with the eye	visionbody	high	0
h₃eḱ-mn̥	swift motion, eye	visionspeedbody	high	0
h₃eḱ-mn̥-₂	sharpness, point of the eye	bodyvision	high	0
h₂eḱ-r-₃	sharp point, peak of excellence	measurementbody	high	0
h₃eḱ-tl-	instrument for seeing, the eye	bodyvision	high	0
h₃eḱ-tó-₂	seen, having sight	perceptionbody	high	0
h₃eḱ-ulo-	having eyes, relating to sight	perceptionbody	high	0
h₂eḱru-	tear, weeping	bodyemotion	high	0
h₃ekʷ-	to see, eye	sensesbody	high	0
h₂el-	to nourish, to grow	growthbody	high	0
h₂enǵʰ-₂	to be narrow, to constrict	emotionbody	high	0
h₂enh₁-	to breathe	bodystatenature	high	19
h₂enh₁-mn̥	breath, vital spirit	bodylife	high	0
h₂enh₁-t-	front, forehead	spatialbody	high	0
h₂enh₁m-	to breathe, soul-breath	religionritualbody	high	0
h₂enk-	to bend, hook	shapebody	high	0
h₂enk-₂	to bend, to form a hook or angle	bodytool	high	0
h₂enḱ-	to reach, attain, carry on hip	bodymovement	medium	0
h₂enḱ-mn̥-	a bending, service	servicebody	medium	0
h₂enk-ulo-	bent, hooked, angled	shapebody	high	0
h₂er-mn̥	a joining, a fitted thing	bodywar	high	0
h₃er-s-	buttocks, tail, rear	body	high	0
h₂erg-mn̥	something worked, a thing of value	craftbody	high	0
h₂erg-mn̥-₂	work, labor, a working	bodycraft	high	0
h₁ésh₂r̥	blood, vital fluid	bodybiology	high	0
h₁ew-dʰ-	to udder, swell with milk	bodyagricultureabundance	high	0
h₁ew-mn̥	a putting on, wearing of clothes	bodytextile	medium	0
h₂ew-s-	ear (nominal)	bodyhearing	high	0
h₁ewdʰ-	to swell with abundance, to be rich	bodyagriculture	medium	0
h₂ewg-	to shine, see	visionlightbody	high	0
h₂ews-es-	ear, hearing organ	bodyperception	high	0
h₂eyg-₂	to be sick, to suffer from illness	bodymedicine	medium	0
h₂melǵ-₂	to wipe off, to milk by squeezing	bodyagriculture	high	0
h₂melḱ-	to milk, wipe	agriculturefoodbody	high	0
h₃nebʰ-mn̥	navel, central point	body	high	0
h₂nḗr	man, vital force, hero	personbodysocial	high	0
h₂ner-	man, vital force	bodysocial	high	0
h₂ner-mn̥	manly strength, vital force	bodysociety	high	0
h₂ner-mn̥-	manliness, vigor, strength	bodystrength	high	0
h₃nógʷʰ-	nail, claw	bodybiology	high	0
h₃ost-	bone, skeletal element	bodybiology	high	0
h₁rewǵ-	to vomit, to belch	naturebody	high	0
h₁rudʰ-	to be red, ruddy	colorbody	high	0
h₂weh₁-	to blow, to breathe wind	naturebody	high	0
h₁wes-	to dress, clothe	clothingbody	high	0

K39 roots

kap-mn̥	act of grasping, a handle	bodysociety	high	0
kap-ut-	one (cardinal number, unity)	bodyleadership	high	0
kaput-	head, top of the body	bodybiology	high	0
kayl-	whole, uninjured, holy	religionritualbody	high	0
kayl-₂	whole, uninjured, sound in body	medicinebody	high	0
ḱeh₂-k-mn̥-	dung, excrement	bodywaste	medium	0
keh₃l-	to be hard, callous	texturebody	medium	0
ḱenk-₂	to gird, to bind around the waist	bodycraft	medium	0
ḱerd-	heart, core, center	bodyemotion	high	29
ḱerd-₂	middle, center	bodycenteremotion	high	0
ḱerd-mn̥	of the heart, heartfelt	bodyemotion	high	0
ḱerd-yo-₂	connected to the heart, courageous	emotionbody	high	0
ḱerd-yo-₃	of the heart, heartfelt belief	emotionbody	high	0
kerh₂-	horn, head, top	bodyanimal	high	0
kerh₂-mn̥	thing made from horn, horn vessel	materialbody	high	0
ḱerh₂-mn̥	horn, horned one	bodyanimal	high	0
kerh₂-n-	horn, skull, cranium	bodyanatomy	high	0
ḱerh₂-s-	thing of horn, antler	animalbody	medium	0
ḱerh₂-s-no-	brained, having a skull	bodycognition	high	0
ḱerh₂-tó-₂	growth, fleshy tissue	bodyflesh	high	0
ḱerp-es-	body form, physical shape	bodysociety	high	0
kes-	to comb, to scratch	bodymaking	medium	0
ḱewH-ro-	swollen, powerful, heroic	societybody	medium	0
kewh₂s-	to cough, to expel air violently	bodysoundmedicine	medium	0
ḱop-	hoof, to strike	bodyanimalmotion	medium	0
kₒrip-	to cut leather for shoes	clothdressbody	low	0
kreHp-	body, form, shape	bodyform	high	0
krep-	body, form	body	medium	0
krep-₂	body, form, physical shape	body	high	0
krep-es-	body, physical form	bodyphysical	high	0
krew-	to be raw, bloody flesh	bodybloodfood	high	0
krew-mn̥-₂	blood-mass, gore, raw flesh	bodymaterial	high	0
krewh₂-	raw flesh, blood	bodybiologyfood	high	0
krewH-	raw flesh, to congeal blood	bodyfood	high	0
krewH-es-	raw flesh, bloody mass	bodymaterial	high	0
krewp-₂	to crawl, to creep close to ground	motionbody	high	0
krewp-mn̥	body, form, corpse	bodyform	high	0
kʷeHs-	to gasp, to pant, to wheeze	bodysoundmedicine	medium	0
kʷerp-es-	body, embodiment	bodyform	high	0

L7 roots

leb-	lip, to lick	bodybiology	medium
legh-	to lie down, to lay oneself flat	bodyposition	high
leyp-	to smear, to stick	makingbody	high
leyp-₂	to smear, stick, be fat	bodylife	high
leyp-₃	to stick, be sticky, adhere	bodyadhesionlife	high
leyp-₄	to be sticky, to smear with fat	bodylife	high
lūs-	louse, parasitic insect	animalsbody	high

M6 roots

meh₁-ns-tro-	monthly measurement, lunar cycle	timebody	high
mēms-	meat, flesh	foodbody	medium
mendʰ-₂	to chew, jaw, mouth	foodbody	high
mew-k-	to slip, move quickly	movementbody	medium
mewk-	to slip, to be slimy	bodymaterial	high
meygʷ-	to urinate	bodyexcretion	high

P21 roots

ped-	foot, lower extremity	bodymotion	high	27
ped-mn̥	act of stepping, a foot-journey	bodymotion	high	0
peh₃-	to drink, to imbibe	bodysustenance	high	21
peh₂-d-	to tread, walk, foot	movementbody	high	0
pelh₁-	skin, membrane, thin covering	materialbody	high	0
peth₂-mn̥	that which spreads/flies	bodywritingflight	high	0
peth₁-r-	wing, feathered thing	bodyanimal	high	0
pewg-	to prick, to sting	bodymaking	high	0
pewǵ-mn̥	fist, fistfight	bodyfighting	high	0
pewg-mn̥-	a fist, striking hand	bodyconflict	high	0
pewǵ-n-	fist, closed hand for striking	bodyaction	high	0
pewǵ-s-	a blow struck with the fist	actionbody	high	0
pewk-₂	to be bushy, hairy	bodygrowth	medium	0
pewk-₃	to be hairy, to grow wool	bodytextile	medium	0
pewk-s-	hairy, thick-haired	bodygrowth	medium	0
peyH-	to be fat, to swell	bodynature	high	0
pleh₂-mn̥	flat surface, palm	bodyflatness	high	0
plew-mn̥-	lung, floating organ	bodyorgan	high	0
plewm-on-	lung, breather, floating organ	bodyorgan	high	0
pnew-	to breathe, to pant	bodymedicine	high	0
pstew-	to sneeze, to expel through the nose	bodysoundmedicine	medium	0

S14 roots

seykʷ-	to pour out, trickle	liquidbody	medium	0
skeh₂-mn̥	a covering, a shelter	bodydwelling	high	0
skel-mn̥-	dried body, skeleton	bodyanatomy	high	0
skewH-	to cover, hide, skin	coveringbody	high	0
smeyH-	to laugh, to smile	emotionbody	high	0
speyH-	to blow, to breathe spirit	religionritualbody	high	0
spyew-	to spit, to vomit	body	high	0
steh₂-mn̥-₃	something standing, an upright	bodyposition	high	0
sterbʰ-	to be stiff, to die	bodydeath	high	0
sterbʰ-mn̥	the stiffening, death	deathbody	medium	0
sterbʰ-mn̥-₂	rigidity, death stiffness	deathbody	medium	0
steybʰ-	to be stiff, to stand firm like a post	bodyposition	high	0
swelH-	to swell, to become distended	bodymedicine	high	0
swépnos	sleep, dream	bodystatecognition	high	18

T2 roots

terh₂-s-	to be dry, to parch	bodylandscape	high	0
tewH-	to swell, be strong, crowd	swellingbodyquantity	high	0

W6 roots

weH-d-	to wash, to wet	waterliquidbody	high
welh₁-n-	an injury, a wound	bodymedicine	high
werH-mn̥	that which turns, verse	rotationspeechbody	high
wert-es-	a turning, change of direction	bodymotion	high
wert-mn̥	that which turns, joint	bodyrotation	high
wes-	to clothe, to put on garments	bodytextile	high

Y1 root

yewk-

to itch, to scratch an irritation

bodymedicine

medium

Other1 root

(H)meyǵʰ-

to urinate, to mist

weatherbody

medium