Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *ped-ko- (“having a fault at the root”), a formation of *ped- (“foot; to walk”) + *-ko- (“suffix denoting faults”), analogous to Latin mancus (“maimed”, literally “having a fault in the hand”) and caecus (“blind”). However, no allusions to the concept of feet are found in the Italic word's descendants, and secondary connotations of "to make a faux pas" are figuratively better explained with an Italic word for "walking" (such as Latin ambulō (“to traverse, walk”)) than with *ped-, which does not denote "walking" in Italic.
Leumann, in contrast, derives the word from Proto-Indo-European *pet-ko- (“a fall, error”), from *pet- (“to fall”). This is semantically more tenable, though the addition of *-ko- is rather odd.[1]
*petkāō first-singular present indicative
Inflection of *petkāō (first conjugation) | ||
---|---|---|
Present | *petkāō | |
Perfect | — | |
Aorist | — | |
Past participle | *petkātos | |
Present indicative | Active | Passive |
1st sing. | *petkāō | *petkāōr |
2nd sing. | *petkās | *petkāzo |
3rd sing. | *petkāt | *petkātor |
1st plur. | *petkāmos | *petkāmor |
2nd plur. | *petkātes | *petkām(e?)n(ai?) |
3rd plur. | *petkānt | *petkāntor |
Present subjunctive | Active | Passive |
1st sing. | *petkāēm? | *petkāēr? |
2nd sing. | *petkāēs? | *petkāēzo? |
3rd sing. | *petkāēd? | *petkāētor? |
1st plur. | *petkāēmos? | *petkāēmor? |
2nd plur. | *petkāētes? | *petkāēm(e?)n(ai?)? |
3rd plur. | *petkāēnd? | *petkāēntor? |
Perfect indicative | Active | |
1st sing. | — | |
2nd sing. | — | |
3rd sing. | — | |
1st plur. | — | |
2nd plur. | — | |
3rd plur. | — | |
Aorist indicative | Active | |
1st sing. | — | |
2nd sing. | — | |
3rd sing. | — | |
1st plur. | — | |
2nd plur. | — | |
3rd plur. | — | |
Present imperative | Active | Passive |
2nd sing. | *petkā | *petkāzo |
2nd plur. | *petkāte | — |
Future imperative | Active | |
2nd + 3rd sing. | *petkātōd | |
Participles | Present | Past |
*petkānts | *petkātos | |
Verbal nouns | tu-derivative | s-derivative |
*petkātum | *petkāzi |