Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kerp-

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

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Etymology

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Apparently ultimately derived from *(s)ker- (to cut) via a p-extension of unknown origin and function.

Root

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*kerp-[1][2]

  1. (originally?) to cut off, raze
  2. (originally?) to pick up, lift; to take and carry away
  3. to pluck, pick (e.g. fruit)
  4. to reap, harvest

Alternative reconstructions

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Reconstruction notes

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  • The presumed original s-mobile is found only in Lithuanian šķērpêt (to cut grass), but this word is not mentioned as cognate by the sources cited. See also Ancient Greek σκορπίος (skorpíos, scorpion).
  • Outside of Anatolian, this root sometimes took on a more specialized meaning to harvest, with either agricultural or foraging connotation. The Hittite root, if it belongs here, preserves a seemingly older sense related to lifting and taking.[3] This is similar to the Slavic senses to scoop, draw. However, in at least Baltic and Indo-Iranian, a family of senses to cut (off), chop; cutting tool seems to directly continue from *(s)ker- (to cut (off)). (That Ancient Greek κρώπιον (krṓpion, billhook, sickle) can formally derive from this root is doubtful.) It is therefore unclear which of the two developments explains the pluck, harvest senses, or if perhaps they should be regarded in parallel as separate developments.

Derived terms

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  • *kerp- (root verb), *kérp-t (athematic root aorist)[3]
    • >? Proto-Anatolian:
    • Proto-Balto-Slavic: *kerp-, *kirp-
  • *kérp-e-ti (thematic root present)
    • Proto-Italic: *karpō[n 1]
      • Latin: carpō (to pluck)[2] (see there for further descendants)
  • *kr̥p-yé-ti (-present)
  • *kerp-o-s, perhaps an original root noun *kérp-s ~ *kr̥p-ós
    • Proto-Balto-Slavic: *kerpas (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
      • >? Proto-Slavic: *čerpъ (see there for further descendants)
    • Proto-Hellenic: *kərpós (*what is plucked > fruit) (from *kr̥pós)
    • >? Proto-Hellenic: *kərpós (that which plucks?)
  • Unsorted formations:

Notes

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  1. ^ With a likely from the zero-grade *kr̥p- preceding a consonant.[2]
  2. ^ Expected *κραπός (*krapós).[4][2]

Further reading

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), “*(s)kerp-”, in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 559
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “carpō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 95
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008) “karp(ii̯e/a)-zi”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 5), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 452–454:PIE *(s)krp-i̯é/ó-; *(s)kérp-t / *(s)krp-ént
  4. 4.0 4.1 Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “καρπός 1”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 649
  5. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “καρπός 2”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 649