Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wek(ʷ)speros

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *we(s)kʷeros

Etymology

Possibly a compound of the unknown element *we- and the zero-grade of the noun *kʷséps (“night”). The first element has been connected with Latin vē- in vē-sanus (“mad”), although this is rejected by De Vaan. The original meaning could have been "(stretching) towards the night".

Noun

*wek(ʷ)speros m (non-ablauting)

1. evening

Inflection

Thematic
	singular
nominative	*wek(ʷ)speros
genitive	*wek(ʷ)sperosyo
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*wek(ʷ)speros	*wek(ʷ)speroh₁	*wek(ʷ)speroes
vocative	*wek(ʷ)spere	*wek(ʷ)speroh₁	*wek(ʷ)speroes
accusative	*wek(ʷ)sperom	*wek(ʷ)speroh₁	*wek(ʷ)speroms
genitive	*wek(ʷ)sperosyo	*?	*wek(ʷ)speroHom
ablative	*wek(ʷ)speread	*?	*wek(ʷ)speromos, *wek(ʷ)sperobʰos
dative	*wek(ʷ)speroey	*?	*wek(ʷ)speromos, *wek(ʷ)sperobʰos
locative	*wek(ʷ)sperey, *wek(ʷ)speroy	*?	*wek(ʷ)speroysu
instrumental	*wek(ʷ)speroh₁	*?	*wek(ʷ)sperōys

Descendants

• Armenian:
  • Old Armenian: գիշեր (gišer)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *wékeras (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Celtic: *weskʷeros (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *westraz (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Hellenic: *wésperos
  • Ancient Greek: ἕσπερος (hésperos)
• Proto-Italic: *wesperos
  • Latin: vesper (see there for further descendants)

References

• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 470f
• Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 184
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 670