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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B3 roots

Root	Meaning	Semantic Field	Confidence
bʰeh₂-w-	to shine forth, to appear	lightcognition	high
bhewdh-	to be aware, to make aware	cognitioncommunication	high
bʰewdʰ-mn̥-	awareness, awakened state	cognitionawareness	high

D9 roots

délh₁-	to recount, to count, to tell	cognitioncommunicationnumber	high
deyḱ-tó-	pointed out, shown, taught	cognitioncommunication	high
dʰeh₁-s-mn̥-	a placing together, arrangement	arrangementcognition	high
dʰeh₁-tó-₂	something placed, an established thing	cognitionaction	high
dhreugh-	to deceive, dream, harm	deceptiondreamcognition	high
dʰrewgʰ-	to deceive, to dream	emotioncognition	high
dʰrewgʰ-mn̥-	a deception, illusion	cognitiondeception	medium
dʰrewH-	to hold firm, to trust	emotioncognition	medium
dwey-	to fear, to be in doubt	emotioncognition	medium

G14 roots

gʰreyH-	to be heavy with sorrow, to grieve	emotioncognition	medium	0
ǵneh₃-	to know, to recognise	cognitionperception	high	31
ǵneh₃-men-	means of knowing, a name	communicationcognition	high	0
ǵneh₃-mn̥-₂	a mark of knowing, sign	cognitionsign	high	0
ǵneh₃-sis-	act of knowing, knowledge	cognitionknowledge	high	0
ǵneh₃-sko-₂	to begin to know, learn	cognitionlearning	high	0
ǵneh₃-tó-	known, recognizable	cognitionsocial	high	0
ǵneh₃w-	to recognize, to know (extended)	emotioncognition	medium	0
gʷelh₁-	to pierce, to feel guilt/pain	emotioncognition	medium	0
gʷeyd-	to know, see, find	cognitionvision	high	0
gʷeyd-mn̥-	a knowing, recognized thing	cognitiondirection	high	0
gʷhel-	to wish, will, choose	cognitiondesire	high	0
gʷneH₃-	to know, recognize (zero-grade)	cognitionability	high	0
gʷneh₃-tó-	recognized, known	cognition	high	0

H18 roots

h₂eḱ-men-₄	understanding, reasoning	cognitionskill	medium	0
h₂eḱ-mn̥-₃	sharp edge, keenness of mind	qualitycognition	high	0
h₂eḱ-weh₂-₂	sharpness of hearing, keenness	sensationcognition	high	0
h₂enh₂-	to breathe angrily, to rage	emotioncognition	medium	0
h₁epi-steh₂-	to stand upon, understand	cognitionposition	high	0
h₂erH-eyo-	to keep fitting together, reasoning	cognitionskill	high	0
h₂ew-	to perceive, to hear	perceptioncognition	high	16
h₂ew-dʰ-es-	perception by ear, an audience	soundcognition	high	0
h₂ew-dʰ-mn̥	hearing, the act of perceiving sound	soundcognition	high	0
h₂ey-	to burn with envy, to desire another's lot	emotioncognition	low	0
h₂eyd-s-₂	to honor, to revere	societycognition	medium	0
h₂weyd-	to see, to know (having seen)	cognitionperception	high	0
h₂weyd-₂	to see, perceive, know	visioncognition	high	0
h₂weyd-es-	appearance, form, visible shape	visioncognition	high	0
h₂weyd-mn̥	knowledge, act of having seen	cognition	high	0
h₂weyd-mn̥-₂	form, visible shape	visioncognition	high	0
h₁weydʰ-	to find, discover, invent	discoverycognition	high	0
h₂weyh₁-	to desire, to pursue	emotioncognition	medium	0

K14 roots

ḱeh₁-	to desire, to hope	emotioncognition	low
ḱeh₂d-	to hate, to feel sorrow	emotioncognition	medium
keh₂p-es-	act of seizing, mental grasping	cognitionaction	high
ḱem-	to cover (with shame), to feel shame	emotioncognition	low
ḱerh₂-s-no-	brained, having a skull	bodycognition	high
kew-eyo-	to keep observing, heeding	cognitionperception	high
ḱred-dʰeh₁-	to place trust, to believe	religionritualcognition	high
ḱrey-	to sieve, to separate, to distinguish	actioncognitionjudgment	high
krey-h₂-₂	to sift, to separate grain	agriculturecognition	high
kʷeh₁-s-	to acquire, to gain possession	actioncognition	high
kʷer-eyo-	to keep seeking, inquire	cognitioninquiry	high
kʷer-tó-	purified, certain, separated	cognitionjudgment	high
kʷeyd-eyo-	to keep asking, seeking to know	cognitioninquiry	high
kʷeyd-mn̥-	an asking, inquiry, quest	cognitioninquiry	high

L4 roots

leǵ-eyo-	to keep gathering, choosing, reading	cognitionselection	high
legʰ-eyo-	to keep reading, gathering	cognitionreading	high
legʰ-mn̥-	reasoning, speech, word-gathering	cognitionlanguage	high
lewbʰ-	to love, to care for, to desire	emotioncognition	high

M17 roots

med-	to take measures, to attend to	medicinecognition	high
med-mn̥	act of measuring, a remedy	medicinecognition	high
meh₂-n-mn̥	act of thinking, a remembering	cognitionmedicine	high
meldʰ-	to wonder, to be astonished	emotioncognition	low
men-	to think, to have in mind	emotioncognition	high
men-dʰ-	to learn by practice, to study	cognitioneducation	high
men-dheh₁-	to set the mind, learn	cognitionlearning	high
men-dheh₁-₂	to fix in mind, remember	cognitionmemory	high
men-eyo-	to think repeatedly, remind	cognitionmemory	high
men-eyo-₂	to keep thinking, pondering	cognitioncommunication	high
men-s-₂	the thinking faculty, mind	cognition	high
men-tl-	instrument of thought, mind	cognition	high
men-tó-	that which is thought, mind	cognitionmind	high
men-tó-₂	thought, intention, purpose	cognitionintention	high
men-tro-	instrument of thought, counselor	cognitiontool	high
mendʰ-	to learn, think, be mindful	cognitionlearning	high
mew-	to mourn, to be sad	emotioncognition	medium

P6 roots

peh₂w-	to strike with fear, to terrify	emotioncognition	medium
per-eyo-	to keep trying, experiencing	cognitionaction	high
per-mn̥	act of crossing, a trial	motioncognition	high
pewH-d-	to cut back, to prune, to clean	actioncognition	high
pewH-t-eyo-	to keep reckoning, pruning	cognitioncalculation	high
pewt-eyo-	to keep reckoning, thinking	cognitioncalculation	high

S7 roots

seh₂g-eyo-	to keep seeking, tracking	cognitionsearch	high	0
seh₂g-tó-	thing sought out, tracked	cognitionnarrative	medium	0
sew-bʰ-	one's own, of the self	societycognition	high	0
skey-d-₂	to split, to cleave apart	actioncognition	high	0
speh₁-ḱ-mn̥-₂	act of looking, observation	visioncognition	high	0
spek-	to observe carefully, to look at	visioncognition	high	0
swépnos	sleep, dream	bodystatecognition	high	18

T3 roots

teh₂g-es-	a touching, an arrangement	actioncognition	high
teh₂w-mn̥	a cutting, felling	actioncognition	high
tong-	to think, to feel	emotioncognition	high

W7 roots

welh₁-	to wish, to will, to want	emotioncognition	high	0
welh₁-mn̥	choice, act of willing	cognitionlaw	high	0
welh₁-mn̥-	a choosing, will, volition	cognitiondesire	high	0
wen-	to desire, to strive for, to love	emotioncognition	high	0
wert-₂	to turn, to become, to change into	motioncognition	high	0
weyd-	to see, to know	perceptioncognition	high	35
weyd-tó-	known, seen clearly	cognitionknowledge	high	0

Y1 root

yew-

to rejoice, to feel joy

emotioncognition

medium