Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/ɸarextus

This Proto-Celtic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

• *arextus^[1]
• *ɸarixtā

Unknown. Matasović, and Pyysalo after him, believe that the term contains the prefix *ɸare-. Zair on the other hand still believes the identity of the prefix to be unclear. Lindeman on the other hand outright denies the existence of any prefixation on this term. However, everyone agrees that the word contains the suffix *-tus.

The palatalization in Goidelic is unexpected; a form **aracht would be expected (see also canaid < *kaneti). Reconstructing *ɸarixtus would yield the Goidelic forms directly but lead to Welsh **eirith and the like due to i-affection, necessitating a reconstruction *ɸarixtā so that the i-affection is blocked by a previous a-affection. In fact, Stifter (personal communication) thinks that *ɸarixtā may have yielded the Goidelic forms too, given how its case-forms are mainly attested in late manuscripts whose scribes were unable to distinguish e.g. -ae (genitive singular of ā-stems) and -a (genitive singular of u-stems) since they had merged in later scribes' speech.

There are multiple theories on the underlying root's identity.

• Zair mentions a theory by Vendryes where the term is related to Proto-Slavic *reťi (“to say”).^[2]
• Lindeman derives this term from a k-extension of Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁- (“to reckon”). He also identifies this extension in Proto-Slavic *reťi (“to say”) and Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌷𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (rahnjan, “to reckon, count”).^[1]
• Matasović makes a connection with Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵ- (“to say”).^[3]
• Pyysalo admits that Matasović's derivation is valid, but offers an alternative connection to Avestan 𐬬𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬑𐬀 (viiāxa, “gathering, meeting”), for which he reconstructs *HekH- (note that Pyysalo does not believe in three laryngeals, he only believes in one laryngeal pronounced like *h₂; in turn he also believes in the existence of *a and an array of a-diphthongs).^[4]

*ɸarextus m^[3]

1. assembly, meeting
2. conversation, discourse

• Proto-Brythonic:
  • Breton: areizh (“diatribe”) (Peurunvan spelling), areih (attestations with Vannetais debuccalization written)
  • Cornish: areth (“lecture, speech”)
  • Middle Welsh: areith (“speech, address, utterance”)
    • Welsh: araith
• Old Irish: airecht (“assembly”)
  • Irish: oireacht