Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/leb-

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

Reconstruction

The reconstruction is uncertain, and contains the rare PIE phoneme *b. A secondary form *lh₂P- also exists, with a variety of labials standing in for P. Moreover, the Iranian initial l- is irregular. The root therefore probably originates from a substrate language or is onomatopoeic (imitative of e.g. licking, smacking lips).

Root

*leb-

1. ? to hang down loosely
2. lip
3. to lick

Derived terms

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *leb-‎ (6 c, 0 e)

• *léb-ti ~ *l̥b-énti (athematic root present)
  • Proto-Anatolian: *lébti
    • Hittite: 𒇷𒅁𒍣 (le-ep-zi)
• *leb-oyé-ti?
  • Proto-Anatolian:
    • Hittite: 𒇷𒉺𒀀𒄑𒍣 (le-pa-a-iz-zi)
• Unsorted formations:
  • Proto-Germanic: *lepô, *lipjô (“lip”)
  • Proto-Germanic:
    • Old Norse: lafa
      • Icelandic: lafa
  • Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek (possibly) λοβός (lobós)
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *lap-
    • Proto-Iranian: *lap-
      • Middle Persian: [script needed] (lab)
        • Persian: لب (lab, “lip”)
      • Lurish:

        Northern Luri: ڵۋ (łü)

        Bakhtiari: لۋ (lü)

        Southern Luri: لۋ (lü)

      • Kurdish:

        Northern Kurdish: lêv (“lip”), liv (“movement, act of moving”)

        Central Kurdish: لێو (lêw, “lip”)

        Southern Kurdish: لێو (lêw, “lip”)

      • Zazaki: lew (“lip”)
  • Italic:
    • Latin: labium (“lip”), labrum

From the root *lh₂P-:

• *lh₂b- (root present)
  • Proto-Germanic: *lapaną (“to lick”)
    • Old High German: laffan
• *lh₂-né-b(ʰ)- ~ *lh₂-m-b(ʰ)- (nasal-infix present)
  • Italic:
    • Latin: lambō (“to lick”)
• *lh₂b-el-os
  • Proto-Germanic: *lapilaz (“spoon”)
    • Dutch: lepel
    • Old High German: leffil
• Unsorted formations:
  • Albanian: lap (“to lick up water”)
  • Armenian:
    • Old Armenian: լափեմ (lapʻem, “to lap up, lick up; to eat up greedily, devour”)
  • Balto-Slavic:
    • Lithuanian: lapènti (“to eat greedily”)
    • Slavic:
      • East Slavic:
        • Russian: ло́пать (lópatʹ, “to gobble up”)
        • (possibly) Russian: лобзать (lobzatʹ, “to kiss”)
      • South Slavic:
        • Bulgarian: лапам (lapam, “to eat greedily”)
  • Hellenic:
    • Ancient Greek: λάπτω (láptō, “to lick”)
    • Ancient Greek: λαφύσσω (laphússō, “to devour”)