Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/peḱ-

This Proto-Indo-European 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.

Proto-Indo-European

Root

*peḱ-

2. to pluck (wool, hair)

Derived terms

• *péḱ-ti
  • Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek: πέκω (pékō, “to comb”)
• *peḱ-te-ti (perhaps by metathesis from *petḱ- < *pe-pḱ- or the same seen in *pléḱ-te-ti)
  • Proto-Germanic: *fehtaną (“to comb, detangle, struggle”)
  • Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek: πεκτέω (pektéō, “to shear”)
  • Proto-Italic: *pektō
    • Latin: pectō (“to comb”)
• *poḱ-os-
  • Proto-Germanic: *fahaz (“sheep”)
• *poḱ-o-
  • Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek: πόκος (pókos)
• *poḱ-ti-
  • Proto-Germanic: *fahtiz (“fleece”)
    • Old English: feht
    • Old Frisian: fecht
    • Middle Dutch: vacht
      • Dutch: vacht
• *p(e)ḱ-tén-s
  • Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek: κτείς (kteís)
  • Italic:
    • Latin: pecten
• *poḱ-s-om
  • Proto-Germanic: *fahsą
• *poḱ-s-mn̥
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *páćšma (see there for further descendants)
• Unsorted formations:
  • Balto-Slavic:
    • Lithuanian: pešù, pèšti (“to pluck, tear (of hair)”), iterative pašýti (“to brawl”)

Root

*peḱ-

Benviste (1969: 47-61) proposed that the primary meaning was "movable property, wealth", with a secondary meaning of "livestock" simply because this was how wealth was measured by the Proto-Indo-Europeans (and many descendant cultures). In corroboration, Kim McCone (1991:43-44) highlights wealth- and/or status-oriented terms such as Old Irish (am)bue, Homeric Greek -boios, and Sanskrit -guh.

1. wealth
3. livestock

Derived terms

• *peḱ-u
• *péḱ-os ~ *péḱ-es-os
  • Proto-Hellenic: *pékos
    • Ancient Greek: πέκος (pékos, “fleece, wool”)
  • Proto-Italic: *pekos
    • Latin: pecus (“cattle”) (see there for further descendants)

Root

*peḱ-

2. joyful
3. pretty

Derived terms

• *peḱ- (root present)
  • Proto-Germanic: *fehaną (“to rejoice”)
    • Old English: gefēon (“to be glad”), fægen (“glad”, past participle)
      • English: fain
    • Old High German: gifehan (“to be glad”)
    • Old Norse: feginn (past participle)
      • Icelandic: feginn
      • Faroese: fegin
      • Norwegian: fegen
• *poḱ-éye- (causative)
  • Proto-Germanic: *fagjaną (“to please”)
    • Gothic: *𐍆𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*fahjan) (in 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (fullafahjan))
• Unsorted formations:
  • Balto-Slavic:
    • Lithuanian: púošiu (“adorn”)
  • Celtic:
    • Middle Irish: perhaps āil (“pleasant”)
  • Germanic:
    • Old Norse: fága (“adorn, polish”)
    • Gothic: 𐍆𐌰𐌷𐌴𐌸𐍃 (fahēþs, “joy”)

References