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  1. Word Family - Hard

    Introduction

    Democracy is Hard.

    Teaser

    Hippocratic Oath, democracy, hard, Richard

    Full Text

    • Proto-Indo-European *kret- strength, power
      • Proto-Indo-European *krétus
        • Hellenic
          • Ancient Greek κρατύς kratús
        • Indo-Iranian *krátuš power, capability, intelligence
          • Indo-Aryan *krátuṣ
            • Sanskrit क्रतु krátu intelligence, plan, power, ability
          • Iranian *xrátuh
          • Avestan 𐬑𐬭𐬀𐬙𐬎 xratu intelligence, thought, guidance
          • Western Iranian
            • Northwestern Iranian
              • Medean *xratu
                • Old Persian …
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  2. Word Family - Gossamer

    Introduction

    The period of unseasonably hot weather after an initial autumn cooling—now often called "Indian summer"—was previously called "goose summer" in English because it corresponds with the beginning of goose hunting season. Compare Irish fómhar beag na ngéanna: "warm period in Autumn (Indian summer)", literally "little autumn of …

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  3. Word Family - Tunic

    Teaser

    cotton, chiton, tunic

    Full Text

    • Anatolian Neolithic substrate?
      • Eastern substrate *kito flax
        • Sumerian 𒃰 gada flax
        • Sumerian 𒆤 kid cloth mat
        • Akkadian 𒃰 kitu flax
          • Old Armenian կտաւ ktaw flax
            • Armenian Կտավ ktav flax, linen, canvas
        • Ugaritic 𐎖𐎉 qṭ flax, linseed
        • Central substrate *kito-na
          • Aramaic 𐡊𐡉𐡕𐡍𐡀 kittānā linen, flax
            • Aramaic 𐡊𐡉𐡕𐡅𐡍𐡀 kittōnā linen garment, tunic, shirt, layer …
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  4. Word Family - Beirut

    Introduction

    Beirut in my thoughts today.

    Beirut, "memory", "epicenter"

    Full Text

    • Semitic *biʔr- well, spring
      • Central Semitic
        • Arabic
          • Classical Arabic بِئْر biʾr well, spring
            • Classical Arabic بُؤْرَة buʾra focus, epicenter
          • Egyptian Arabic بير bīr well, shaft, manhole
          • Maghrebi Arabic
            • Maltese bir well
          • Peninsular Arabic
            • Hijazi Arabic بير bīr well
              • Hijazi Arabic …
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  5. Word Family - Navy

    Introduction

    For the UN Interntaional Day of the Seafarer (June 25)

    Teaser

    naiad, astronaut, nausea, navy, navigate

    Full Text

    • Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₂- to float, to swim
      • Proto-Indo-European *(s)néh₂ti floats, swims
        • Celtic *snāti
          • Old Irish snaid swims
        • Hellenic
          • Classical Greek νᾱ́ω nā́ō I flow
            • Classical Greek Νᾱϊᾰ́ς Nāïás naiad
              • English …
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  6. Word Family - Justice

    Introduction

    June is for Justice. Justice is Life. ✊🏿✊🏽✊🏼 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

    Teaser

    hygiene, forever, not, age, eternal, medieval, young, rejuvenate, junior, jury, injury, prejudice, justice

    Full Text

    • Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- life, age, vital, eternal
      • Proto-Indo-European *h₂óyu
        • Old Armenian այո ayo yes "on my life??"
          • Armenian այո ayo yes
        • Indo-Iranian *Hā́yu lifetime, life
          • Indo-Aryan …
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  7. Word Family - Vicinity

    Teaser

    economy, vicinity, village, New York, sandwich

    Full Text

    • Proto-Indo-European *weyḱ- settlement, to settle
      • Proto-Indo-European *wiḱéti settles, joins settlement
        • Balto-Slavic
          • East Baltic
            • Lithuanian viešė́ti to visit [1]
        • Indo-Iranian *wićáti
          • Indo-Aryan *wiśáti
            • Sanskrit 𑀯𑀺𑀰𑀢𑀺 viśáti enters
      • Proto-Indo-European *wewóyḱe is settled, is part of a settlement stative
        • Indo-Iranian *wawáyća
          • Indo-Aryan …
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  8. Word Family - Four

    April theme: 🦠

    Introduction

    *kʷetwer- is too long for a root. The feminine root suggests that there may have been an original root of just *kʷet-. There are also several reasons to believe that none of this is the original word for four:

    • Hittite's word for "four", meyawes, is …
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  9. Word Family - Pandemic

    Theme: 🦠

    Introduction

    Demon Pandemic Zeitgeist Time

    Teaser

    democracy, pandemic, zeitgeist, time, demon

    Full Text

    • Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- to share, to divide
      • Proto-Indo-European *dh₂yéti divides
        • Albanian daj I divide
        • Hellenic *dayomai
          • Ancient Greek δαίομαι daíomai to divide, to distribute
        • Indo-Iranian *dáyatay
          • Indo-Aryan *dáyatay
            • Sanskrit दयते dáyate to divide, to take part in, to …
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  10. Word Family - Isolate

    Theme: 🦠

    Introduction

    Celtic, Greek, and Latin each have words for "island" that involve /n/ and /s/ and cannot be completely explained. One possibility is that they are all borrowings from the same non-Indo-European source.

    Even if those three are all connected, it would still be beyond credibility for Malayo-Polynesian *nusa …

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  11. Word Family - Warlock

    Introduction

    "Warlock" originally meant "oathbreaker", a compound of *wērō: "truth, oath" and *lugô: "liar". Here I have the families for both pieces of the compound.

    There also used to be a related word in Old English þēodloga, which I am quite fond of. It would have been thedelock in English …

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  12. Word Family - Singh

    January theme: Lions 🦁

    Teaser

    Singh, Sinhala, Singapore, shih tzu

    Full Text

    • Central Asian substrate *sVrng-??
      • Late Indo-European dialect *sinǵʰos
        • Armenian ինձ inj panther
          • Armenian ընձառյուծ ənjaṙyuc leopard
        • Indo-Aryan *sinȷ́ʰás [1]
          • Indo-Aryan
            • Sanskrit 𑀲𑀺𑀁𑀳 sĩhá lion, hero [2]
              • Maharashtri 𑀲𑀺𑀁𑀖 sĩgha
                • Tamil சிங்கம் ciṅkam lion, Leo
              • Sauraseni
                • Madhya
                  • Hindi सिंघ sĩgh lion
              • Pali …
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