Introduction

Dragon tears.

The etymology of dragon (Classical Greek δράκων drákōn) is not certain, but is traditionally linked to δέρκομαι dérkomai: "to see, to watch".

"Derkomai…really?" Not so odd: The aorist active participle (m.) of δέρκομαι dérkomai is δρακών drakṓn—the only difference from δράκων drákōn is the placement of the accent. A substantive use of the aorist active participle could be translated as "he who watches, he who stares". It's unclear if the Athenian lawgiver Draco/Δρακων from whom we get the word draconian is named "Dragon" or "Watcher"

The same root—*derḱ-—appears in the compound *dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru: "tear". *h₂eḱru, while literally meaning "bitter" or "sting", seems to have meant "tear" on its own at an early stage. This is preserved in Anatolian, Tocharian, Baltic, and Indo-Iranian. In Armenian, Hellenic, Germanic, Celtic, and Italic, the compound form is preserved instead *dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru (haplologized to *drh₂éḱru, *dh₂éḱru), interpretable as "eye-tears", "eye-stings", or "bitter-eyes".

The word *drh₂éḱru has had a very unstable plural, due to the combination of the unusual stem ending and the semantics of "tear(s)" easily falling into plurale tantum territory:

• Both Welsh and Classical Greek re-derived a singular from the collective *dáḱruh₂: deigryn and δάκρυον dákruon
• Armenian արցունք arcʿunkʿ is derived from the Old Armenian արտասուք artasukʿ: "tears"; the Old Armenian singular արտօսր artōsr also has an unexpected s copied from the plural
• In Germanic *tahrą, the difference in stressed syllable triggered Verner's Law only in the plural form giving singular stem *tahr- (really /taxr-/) but plural stem *tagr- (really /taɣr-/). East Germanic levelled the stem to *tagr-, while North and West levelled the stem to *tahr-.

Teaser

Dracula, dragon, rankle, tarragon, tear, lachrymose

Full Text

• Proto-Indo-European *derḱ- to see, eye

  • Proto-Indo-European *dérḱeti imperfective

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δέρκομαι dérkomai to see, to watch, to gleam 3P dérketai

        • Classical Greek δρακών drakṓn aorist active participle masculine, "watching"/"having watched"/"he who watches"

          • Classical Greek δράκων drákōn dragon, serpent oblique steam drákont-

            • Greek δράκοντας drákontas dragon
            • Byzantine Greek δράκος drákos

              • Greek δράκος drákos dragon, monster
            • Coptic ⲇⲣⲁⲕⲱⲛ drakōn dragon, serpent
            • Hebrew דרקון drakón serpent, dragon

              • Yiddish דראַקאָן drakon dragon
            • Latin drāco dragon, serpent acc. dracōnem

              • Central Romance

                • Italian drago from the nom.
                • Italian dragone from the acc.
                • Sicilian dragu

                  • Maltese dragun dragon, dragoon
                • Pre-Albanian *dragɔ̄n

                  • Albanian dragua dragon, hero, dragon-slayer
              • Insular Romance

                • Sardinian dragone
              • Eastern Romance

                • Romanian drac devil definite form: dracul

                  • English Dracula
                • Pre-Albanian *drak

                  • Albanian dreq devil
              • Western Romance

                • Spanish drago dragon tree from the nom.
                • Spanish dragón dragon, dragoon
              • Old French dragon

                • French dragon dragon, dragoon

                  • English dragoon
                  • Swedish dragon dragoon, tarragon

                    • Finnish rakuuna dragoon
                • English dragon

                  • Japanese ドラゴン doragon (Western) dragon
                • Irish dragan dragon, tarragon
              • Yiddish דראַקאָן drakon dragon
              • Brythonic *drėg

                • Welsh draig dragon

                  • Welsh Y Ddraig Goch The Red Dragon (on the flag of Wales)
              • West Germanic *drakō ^[1]

                • Old English draca dragon

                  • English drake
                • Frankish *draka

                  • Dutch draak dragon
                • Old High German trahho

                  • German Drache dragon re-modelled to Latin, supported by Central German dialect forms without the d > t change

                    • Czech drak dragon, kite, glider
                • Old Saxon

                  • Old Norse dreki dragon, dragon ship (drakkar)

                    • Danish drage dragon, kite, hang-glider, dragon ship
                    • Icelandic dreki dragon
                    • Swedish drake dragon, kite, dragon ship pl. drakar

                      • French drakkar

                        • English drakkar
              • English Draco
              • Translingual Draco taxonomic genus of gliding lizards
              • Latin dracunculus

                • Western Romance

                  • Old French draoncle a sore, a boil

                    • Old French (d)raoncler

                      • English rankle
            • Classical Greek δράκαινα drákaina

              • Latin dracaena

                • Central Romance

                  • Italian tracina
                • Translingual Dracaena taxonomic genus of dragon trees, taxonomic genus of caiman lizards
            • Classical Greek δρακόντιον edder-wort, dragonwort

              • Arabic طرخون ṭarḵūn tarragon different plant with similar snakey leaves

                • Italian targone tarragon
                • Medieval Latin tragum

                  • Middle French

                    • French estragon

                      • Greek εστραγκόν estragkón tarragon
                      • Spanish estragón tarragon
                    • English tarragon
                    • Swedish dragon dragoon, tarragon

                      • Finnish rakuuna dragoon
                • Persian ترخون tarxun tarragon

                  • Armenian թարխուն tʿarxun tarragon
                  • Georgian ტარხუნა ṭarxuna tarragon
                • Ottoman Turkish طرخون tarhun tarragon, alecost

                  • Turkish tarhun tarragon
                  • Romanian tarhon tarragon
            • Classical Greek Δράκων Drákōn personal name: Dragon?, Watcher?

              • Latin Draco

                • Latin draconianus

                  • English draconian
          • Classical Greek Δράκων Drákōn personal name: Dragon?, Watcher?

            • Latin Draco

              • Latin draconianus

                • English draconian
  • Proto-Indo-European *dr̥ḱeti variant imperfective

    • Celtic *driketi

      • Celtic *ati-driketi "again-see"

        • Brythonic *ėddrɨxɨd

          • Welsh edrych to look
  • Proto-Indo-European *dedórḱe reduplicative stative

    • Celtic *-dark-

      • Celtic *ad-kom-dark- "toward-with-see"

        • Old Irish ad·condairc saw suppletive perfect of ad·cí

          • Irish chonaic saw suppletive past of feic
    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δέδορκα perfect of dérkomai
    • Indo-Iranian *dadárća

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀤𑀭𑁆𑀰 dadárśa saw suppletive perfect of páśyati
      • Iranian

        • Avestan 𐬛𐬁𐬛𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬯𐬀 dādarᵊsa
  • Proto-Indo-European *dorḱéyeti causative

    • Germanic *tarhijaną

      • East Germanic

        • Gothic (𐌲𐌰)𐍄𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ga)tarhjan to mark, to note, to draw attention to
    • Indo-Iranian *darćáyati

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀭𑁆𑀰𑀬𑀢𑀺 darśayati to show, to demonstrate, to make seen, to pay for

          • Pali 𑀤𑀲𑁆𑀲𑁂𑀢𑀺 dasseti
          • Sauraseni 𑀤𑀲𑁆𑀲𑁂𑀤𑀺 dassedi

            • Northwestern Sauraseni

              • Punjabi ਦੱਸਣਾ dassaṇā to tell, to explain, to show
          • Hindi दर्शाना darśānā to show, to exhibit
  • Proto-Indo-European *dr̥ḱtós seen, visible adjective

    • Germanic *turhtaz bright, clear, well-lit

      • West Germanic

        • Old English torht bright, radiant, glorious
        • Old High German zoraht bright, clear
    • Indo-Iranian *dr̥štás seen, visible, apparent

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀾𑀱𑁆𑀝 dṛṣṭá visible, apparent, seen, noticed

          • Magadhi

            • Assamese দিঠক dithok reality
          • Pali 𑀤𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀞 diṭṭha seen

            • Pali 𑀤𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀞𑀥𑀫𑁆𑀫 diṭṭhadhamma the visible world, the mortal world
      • Iranian

        • Avestan 𐬛𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬱𐬙𐬀 dərᵊšta
  • Proto-Indo-European *dr̥ḱtis sight, seeing abstract action noun

    • Albanian dritë light
    • Indo-Iranian *dŕ̥štiš

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀾𑀱𑁆𑀝𑀺 dṛ́ṣṭi sight, seeing, vision, theory, eye, delusion (Buddhism)

          • Pali 𑀤𑀺𑀝𑁆𑀞𑀺 diṭṭhi view, belief, theory, dogma
          • Hindi दृष्टि dŕṣṭi vision, sight

            • Hindi दृष्टि पटल dŕṣṭi paṭal retina lit "sight screen"
          • Punjabi ਦ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ driśṭī sight, vision
          • Sanskrit 𑀆𑀢𑁆𑀫𑀤𑀾𑀱𑁆𑀝𑀺 ātmadṛṣṭi self-view, the delusion that the self exists

            • Kushean 𑀆𑀢𑁆𑀫𑀤𑀾𑀱𑁆𑀝𑀺 ātmadṛṣṭi
  • Proto-Indo-European *dérḱmn̥ a look, a sight action or result noun

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δέργμα dérgma a look, a glance, a sight
  • Proto-Indo-European *dr̥ḱos see-er

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δράκος drákos eye
  • Proto-Indo-European *dr̥ḱeh₂

    • Celtic *drikā face, front, thing seen

      • Brythonic

        • Welsh drych mirror, image, form
      • Celtic *ɸaredrikā forefront, thing seen

        • Old Irish airdrech a phantom, a kind of ghost
  • Proto-Indo-European *derḱ-áno- see again?

    • Old Armenian տեսանեմ tesanem to see, to visit, to watch, to know

      • Armenian տեսնել tesnel to see, to examine, to meet, to visit, to know

        • Armenian տեսանյութ tesanyutʿ video, footage
      • Old Armenian լրտես lrtes spy, scout, emissary

        • Armenian լրտես lrtes spy, secret agent
  • Proto-Indo-European *dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru tear(s) lit. "eye-bitter" "eye-sting"

    • Proto-Indo-European *drh₂éḱru haplology

      • Germanic *trahnuz a tear

        • West Germanic

          • Frankish *trān

            • Dutch traan a tear, fish oil

              • Dutch traanolie fish oil

                • English train oil
          • Old High German tra(h)an

            • German Träne a tear
      • Proto-Indo-European *dh₂éḱru further haplology

        • Pre-Armenian *artawr a tear

          • Old Armenian արտօսր artōsr a tear with 's' from the plural
          • Pre-Armenian *artaḱu-? tears

            • Old Armenian արտասուք artasukʿ tears

              • Armenian արցունք arcʿunkʿ a tear
              • Armenian արտասուք artasukʿ a tear, to weep, to lament re-borrowing
        • Hellenic

          • Classical Greek δάκρυ dákru a tear, sap

            • Greek δάκρυ dákry a tear
            • English dacryo-
            • Classical Greek δακρύω dakrúō I weep

              • Classical Greek δακρυμα dakryma a tear re-derived noun as a deverbal

                • Old Latin 𐌃𐌀𐌂𐌓𐌖𐌌𐌀 dacruma a tear ^[2]

                  • Latin lacruma a tear archaic
                  • Old Latin 𐌃𐌀𐌂𐌓𐌉𐌌𐌀 dacrima a tear variant

                    • Latin lacrima a tear ^[2]

                      • Central Romance

                        • Italian lacrima a tear
                      • Eastern Romance

                        • Romanian lacrimă a tear
                      • Western Romance

                        • French larme a tear, a drop
                        • Spanish lágrima a tear
                      • Latin lacrimalis of tears, related to tears

                        • English lacrimal
                      • Latin lacrimosus full of tears, lamentable

                        • English lachrymose partly re-modelled as if Greek
                      • Latin lacrimare to weep, to shed tears

                        • Central Romance

                          • Italian lacrimàre to weep, to drip, to mourn
                        • Eastern Romance

                          • Romanian a lăcrima to weep
                        • Spanish lagrimar
                        • Spanish lacrimar
                      • Vulgar Latin *lacrimidiare

                        • Eastern Romance

                          • Aromanian lãcãrmedz to weep
                        • Western Romance

                          • French larmoyer to weep, to whine, to drip
                          • Spanish lagrimear
        • Northwest Indo-European *dáḱrom

          • Celtic *dakrom a tear

            • Old Irish dér a tear

              • Irish deoir a tear
          • Germanic *tahrą a tear plural stem *tagr-

            • East Germanic

              • Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐍂 tagr a tear singular stem levelled to plural stem
            • North Germanic

              • Old Norse tár a tear

                • Danish tår a drop, a sip

                  • Danish tåre a tear originally a plural
                • Icelandic tár a tear, a drop, a sip
            • West Germanic

              • Old English tear a tear

                • English tear
              • Old High German zahar

                • German Zähre a tear archaic
            • Germanic *tahrijaną to weep, to shed tears

              • East Germanic

                • Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 tagrjan to weep, to shed tears
              • West Germanic

                • Old English tieran to weep, to water (of eyes)
          • Italic *dakrom

            • Old Latin 𐌃𐌀𐌂𐌓𐌖𐌌𐌀 dacruma a tear ^[2]

              • Latin lacruma a tear archaic
              • Old Latin 𐌃𐌀𐌂𐌓𐌉𐌌𐌀 dacrima a tear variant

                • Latin lacrima a tear ^[2]

                  • Central Romance

                    • Italian lacrima a tear
                  • Eastern Romance

                    • Romanian lacrimă a tear
                  • Western Romance

                    • French larme a tear, a drop
                    • Spanish lágrima a tear
                  • Latin lacrimalis of tears, related to tears

                    • English lacrimal
                  • Latin lacrimosus full of tears, lamentable

                    • English lachrymose partly re-modelled as if Greek
                  • Latin lacrimare to weep, to shed tears

                    • Central Romance

                      • Italian lacrimàre to weep, to drip, to mourn
                    • Eastern Romance

                      • Romanian a lăcrima to weep
                    • Spanish lagrimar
                    • Spanish lacrimar
                  • Vulgar Latin *lacrimidiare

                    • Eastern Romance

                      • Aromanian lãcãrmedz to weep
                    • Western Romance

                      • French larmoyer to weep, to whine, to drip
                      • Spanish lagrimear
        • Proto-Indo-European *dáḱruh₂ tears collective

          • Celtic *dakrū tears

            • Brythonic *dėgr

              • Welsh deigr tears archaic

                • Welsh deigryn a tear new singular derived from deigr with -yn singulative suffix
                • Welsh dagrau tears new regular plural
          • Hellenic

            • Classical Greek δάκρυα dákrua tears

              • Classical Greek δάκρυον dákruon a tear back-formed from dákrua

Visual

Collected English words

Dracula, dragoon, dragon, drake, drakkar, Draco, Draco, rankle, Dracaena, tarragon, draconian, train oil, dacryo-, tear, lacrimal, lachrymose

Footnotes

1. ^

   In many cases, the descendants of West Germanic *anadrekō: "male duck" (lit. "duck-king") lost the first syllable and became homophonous with the descendants of *drakō: "dragon", borrowed from Latin: English drake/drake, Dutch draak/draak, Swedish drake/drake (both borrowed from West Germanic).

2. ^

   While Latin lacrima could be part of the Late Northwest *dáḱrom cluster with Celtic and Germanic, it should have been *dacrum or possibly *dacrumen. It's more likely a borrowing from the Greek re-de-verbal δακρυμα dakryma, which perfectly fits among the many pre-Classical alternations of the word: dakruma/dakrima/lakruma/lakrima. The d/l alternation in Archaic Latin is also most in very early Greek loan words, e.g. Ulysses for Odysseus, and a borrowing from Greek υ could also help explain the i/u alternation.