Introduction

In which linguistics should probably be *dinguistics.

Armenian լեզու lezu, Lithuanian liežùvis, and Latin lingua (all "tongue") are modified from their expected reflexes of *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s by association with *leyǵʰ-: "to lick". The expected words would be Armenian *tezu, Lithuanian *iežùvis, and Latin dingua (attested in Old Latin).

Though in the case of Latin, it could also be part of a larger *d > *l pattern, compare lacrima from *dáḱru- and Ulyssēs from Ὀδυσσεύς Odusseús. And then there's also lutro: "otter" from *utrā.

*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s: "tongue, language" is likely a derivative of *denḱ-: "to bite". You could see *denḱ- being related to *h₃ed-: "to bite" (which gives *h₃dónts to "tooth") and/or *h₁ed-: "to eat"; but if so, the relationship is well beyond the horizon reconstructability.

Teaser

tough, tongs, tongue, linguine, language, glossary

Full Text

• Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- to bite

  • Proto-Indo-European *denḱti bites root imperfective

    • Indo-Iranian *dáćati

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀰𑀢𑀺 dáśati bites

          • Elu

            • Sinhala ඩහනවා ḍahanawā to bite
          • Maharashtri 𑀟𑀲𑀇 ḍasai

            • Marathi डसणे ḍasṇe to sting, to bite
          • Sauraseni 𑀟𑀲𑀤𑀺 ḍasadi

            • Madhya Sauraseni

              • Hindi डसना ḍasnā to bite, to sting
  • Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ḱnéti bites -n- imperfective

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δάκνω dákno I bite

        • Koine Greek δαγκάνω dankánō I bite

          • Greek δαγκώνω dagkóno I bite
  • Proto-Indo-European *donḱéyeti makes bite causative imperfective

    • Germanic *tangijaną to press together, to fasten
    • Indo-Iranian *danćáyati

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀁𑀰𑀬𑀢𑀺 daṃśayati makes bite
  • Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ḱtós bitten adjective

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek -δηκτός -dektós -bitten, -biting

        • Classical Greek καρδιόδηκτος kardiódēktós heart-biting, causing sorrow
        • Classical Greek θηριόδηκτος thēriódēktós beast-bitten, snake-bitten
        • New Latin -dectus

          • Translingual Latrodectus taxonomic genus of black widow spiders lit. "bandit-biting"
  • Proto-Indo-European *dónḱus biting adjective

    • Germanic *tanhuz holding together, tenacious, sticky, tough

      • West Germanic

        • Old English tōh tough

          • English tough
        • Frankish *tāi

          • Dutch taai tough, resilient
        • Old High German zāh(i)

          • German zäh(e) tough, tenacious, chewy, viscous
      • Germanic *tanhwą enclosed yard

        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse tá

            • Old Danish *tā

              • Old Danish fortā

                • Danish forte village commons, enclosed path
                • Danish fortov sidewalk
            • Icelandic tá path, footpath
      • Germanic *tanhwō hard ground

        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse tó grassy spot on a cliff

            • Icelandic tó grassy patch among rocks or cliffs
  • Proto-Indo-European *dénḱs biter, bite root noun

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δήξ dḗx wood worm possibly influenced by σφήξ sphḗx: "wasp"
  • Proto-Indo-European *donḱéh₂ bites, a bite collective or abstract action noun

    • Albanian dang a bite, a nip

      • Albanian darë tongs
    • Germanic *tangō tongs, pliers

      • West Germanic

        • Old English tange

          • English tongs
        • Frankish *tanga

          • Dutch tang pliers, tongs, tweezers

            • Malay tang pliers, to use pliers
        • Old High German zanga tongs

          • German Zange pincers, pliers, tongs, forceps
          • Old High German hevzanga lifting tongs

            • Polish obcęgi pincers, pliers

              • Ukrainian обценьки obcenʹky pincers
  • Proto-Indo-European *donḱís biter, bite noun

    • Germanic *tangiz tongs, pliers

      • North Germanic

        • Old Norse tǫng tongs

          • Danish tang tongs, forceps
          • Icelandic töng pincers, pliers, tongs
          • Old Norse tangi pointed metal tool, tang, cape (of land)
  • Proto-Indo-European *donḱos

    • Indo-Iranian *danćas

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀁𑀰 da(ṃ)śa bite, sting, biting insect
  • Proto-Indo-European *dń̥ḱos

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δάκος dákos bite, sting, animal with a venomous bite
    • Indo-Iranian *daćas

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀰 da(ṃ)śa bite, sting, biting insect
  • Proto-Indo-European *dénḱmn̥ a bite action/result noun

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δῆγμα dêgma a bite, a sting
    • Indo-Iranian

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀁𑀰𑁆𑀫𑀦𑁆 daṃśman a bite
  • Proto-Indo-European *dénḱtis a bite, biting abstract/action noun

    • Hellenic

      • Classical Greek δῆξις dêxis a bite, biting, a taunt
  • Proto-Indo-European *dénḱtrom instrument of biting, tooth, fang instrument/tool noun

    • Indo-Iranian *dánćtram

      • Indo-Aryan *dánśtram

        • Sanskrit 𑀤𑀁𑀱𑁆𑀝𑁆𑀭 dáṃṣṭra fang, tusk
      • Iranian *dánctram

        • Avestan *dąstra-

          • Avestan 𐬙𐬌𐬲𐬌𐬛𐬄𐬯𐬙𐬭𐬀 tiži-dąstra- sharp-toothed
  • Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s tongue, language

    • Old Armenian լեզու lezu tongue, language, nation modified by association with լիզեմ lizem: "to lick"

      • Armenian լեզու lezu tongue, language, speech

        • Armenian նախալեզու naxalezu proto-language
    • Balto-Slavic *inźūˀ tongue regular loss of *d before *n̥

      • East Baltic

        • Lithuanian liežùvis tongue modified by association with liežti: "to lick"
      • West Baltic

        • Old Prussian insuwis tongue
      • Balto-Slavic *inźūˀ-kas

        • Slavic *ęzỳkъ tongue, language

          • East Slavic ꙗзꙑкъ jazykŭ tongue, language, nation

            • Russian язы́к jazýk tongue, language
            • Ukrainian язи́к jazýk tongue
          • South Slavic

            • Bulgarian ези́к ezík tongue, language
            • Old Church Slavonic ѩзꙑкъ językŭ tongue, language, nation
            • Serbo-Croatian јѐзик jèzik tongue, language
          • West Slavic

            • Czech jazyk tongue, language
            • Polish język tongue, language
    • Celtic *dangʷāss

      • Celtic *tangʷāss tongue irregular *d -> *t, Germanic influence?

        • Brythonic *tavọd

          • Welsh tafod tongue

            • Welsh tafodiaith dialect, vernacular
        • Old Irish tengae tongue, language

          • Irish teanga tongue, language
    • Germanic *tungǭ tongue, speech, language

      • East Germanic

        • Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌲𐌲𐍉 tuggō tongue
      • North Germanic

        • Old Norse tunga tongue, language

          • Danish tunge tongue, language, sole (fish)
          • Icelandic tunga tongue, language
      • West Germanic

        • Old English tunge tongue, language

          • English tongue

            • Sranan Tongo tongo language

              • Sranan Tongo Sranan Tongo

                • English Sranan Tongo
        • Frankish *tunga

          • Dutch tong tongue
        • Old High German zunga tongue, language

          • German Zunge tongue
          • Yiddish צונג tsung tongue
        • West Germanic *tungā-tulga root of the tongue

          • Old English tungan tulge
          • Old High German *zunga-zulga

            • German Zungenzolch
    • Indo-Iranian *diȷ́ʰwáH ^[1]

      • Nuristani *diȷ́ū́

        • Ashkun žū tongue
        • Kamviri dić tongue
      • Indo-Iranian *ȷ́iȷ́ʰwáH ^[1]

        • Indo-Aryan *ȷ́iźʰwáH

          • Dardic

            • Kashmiri زؠو zyav tongue, language
          • Sanskrit 𑀚𑀺𑀳𑁆𑀯𑀸 jihvā́ tongue

            • Elu

              • Dhivehi ދޫ dū tongue
              • Sinhala දිව diwa tongue
            • Magadhi 𑀚𑀺𑀩𑁆𑀪𑀸 jibbhā

              • Bengali জিভ jibh tongue
            • Maharashtri

              • Marathi जीभ jībh tongue
            • Pali 𑀚𑀺𑀯𑁆𑀳𑀸 jivhā tongue

              • Thai ชิวหา chiu-hǎa tongue
            • Sauraseni 𑀚𑀺𑀩𑁆𑀪𑀸 jibbhā

              • Madhya Sauraseni

                • Hindi जीभ jībh tongue
              • Western Sauraseni

                • Gujarati જીભ jībh tongue
                • Romani ćhib tongue, language
            • Telugu జిహ్వ jihva tongue
        • Iranian *hižwáH

          • Avestan 𐬵𐬌𐬰𐬎𐬎𐬁 hizuuā tongue, language
          • Western Iranian *hǝzǝwá

            • Northwestern Iranian

              • Kurdish ziman language, tongue
              • Parthian 𐫙𐫉𐫁𐫀𐫗 ʿzbʾn
            • Old Persian 𐏃𐏀𐎠 h-z-a

              • Persian زبان zabân tongue, language

                • Bengali জবান zôban language, speech, pronunciation, promise, tongue

                  • Rohingya 𐴎𐴟𐴁𐴝𐴕 zuban
                • Kashmiri زَبان zabān language, tongue
                • Hindi ज़बान zabān tongue, language
          • Iranian *hižwáHkaH

            • Bactrian εζϐαγο ezbago
            • Northern Iranian

              • Saka

                • Khotani biśā
              • Scythian

                • Ossetian ӕвза́г ævzág language
            • Pashto ژبه žë́ba language, tongue, word
    • Italic *denɣwā

      • Oscan 𐌚𐌀𐌍𐌂𐌖𐌀 fangua words, language attested in plural
      • Old Latin dingua

        • Latin lingua tongue, language, speech modified by association with lingō: "to lick"

          • Central Romance

            • Dalmatian langa language, tongue
            • Italian lingua tongue, language

              • Italian lingua franca

                • English lingua franca
              • Italian linguina a linguine diminutive

                • Italian linguine linguine

                  • Arabic لنقويني linqwīnī linguine
                  • English linguine
                  • Korean 링귀네 ringgwine linguine
                  • Ukrainian лінгуїне linhujine linguine
            • Maltese lingwa language
          • Eastern Romance
          • Insular Romance

            • Sardinian limba tongue, language, speech
          • Western Romance

            • French langue

              • French langue d'oc

                • English langue d'oc
                • French Languedoc

                  • English Languedoc
              • French langue d'oïl

                • English langue d'oïl
        • Latin lingula

          • Eastern Romance

            • Romanian língură spoon

              • Romani Lingurari ^[2]

                • English Lingurari ^[2]
          • English lingula
        • Vulgar Latin *linguāticum manner of speaking, language

          • Western Romance

            • French language

              • English language
            • Old Occitan lengaje language

              • Italian linguaggio language adapted back towards Italian lingua
              • Spanish lenguaje language
        • French linguiste linguist

          • English linguist
          • New Latin linguista

            • New Latin linguisticus linguistic, relating to languages

              • French linguistique
              • German Linguistik linguistics, the study of languages

                • English linguistic
                • English linguistics
    • Tocharian *tänkwo

      • Tocharian *käntwo tongue, language metathesis

        • Arshian käntu tongue, language
        • Kushean kantwo tongue, language, voice
    • Proto-Indo-European *dl̥gʰús tongue n~l variant?

      • Germanic *tulgaz

        • West Germanic *tungā-tulga root of the tongue

          • Old English tungan tulge
          • Old High German *zunga-zulga

            • German Zungenzolch
      • Proto-Indo-European *dlṓgʰis

        • Hellenic *dlṓťťā

          • Classical Greek γλῶσσᾰ glôssa tongue, language regular dl -> gl, compare glukus vs. Latin `dulcis

            • Greek γλώσσα glóssa tongue, language
            • Latin glōssa an obscure or foreign term, an explanation of such a term

              • Central Romance

                • Italian chiosa gloss, note, annotation
              • English gloss
              • Latin glōssārium glossary, vocabulary, collection of glōssa

                • English glossary
            • Classical Greek πολύγλωσσος polúglōssos

              • Koine Greek πολύγλωττος polúglōttos

                • English polyglot
            • Classical Greek γλωσσίς glōssís

              • Koine Greek γλωττίς glōttís

                • New Latin glottis

                  • English glottis

                    • English glottal
                • Koine Greek ἐπιγλωττίς epiglōttís

                  • New Latin epiglottis

                    • English epiglottis

                      • English epiglottal
              • Classical Greek ἐπιγλωσσίς épiglossis

                • Koine Greek ἐπιγλωττίς epiglōttís

                  • New Latin epiglottis

                    • English epiglottis

                      • English epiglottal
            • Attic Greek γλῶττα glôtta

              • Koine Greek πολύγλωττος polúglōttos

                • English polyglot
              • Attic Greek γλωττίς glōttís

                • Koine Greek γλωττίς glōttís

                  • New Latin glottis

                    • English glottis

                      • English glottal
                  • Koine Greek ἐπιγλωττίς epiglōttís

                    • New Latin epiglottis

                      • English epiglottis

                        • English epiglottal

Visual

Collected English words

Latrodectus, tough, tongs, tongue, Sranan Tongo, lingua franca, linguine, langue d'oc, Languedoc, langue d'oïl, Lingurari, lingula, language, linguist, linguistic, linguistics, gloss, glossary, polyglot, glottis, glottal, epiglottis, epiglottal

Footnotes

1. ^

   The significant phonetic differences of Indo-Iranian *ȷ́iȷ́ʰwáH: "tongue" from PIE *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s: "tongue" have suggested an alternate origin, from a reduplicative form of *ǵʰew-: "to call out, to invoke". Compare Sanskrit 𑀚𑀺𑀳𑁆𑀯𑀸 jihvā́: "tongue" to Sanskrit 𑀚𑀼𑀳𑁄𑀢𑀺 juhóti, which more clearly comes from a reudplicative *ǵʰew- and has the same j-h reflexes of *ǵʰ-ǵʰ.

   On the other hand, the Nuristani forms seem to support an early form *diȷ́ʰwáH, which is a better fit to *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s: "tongue". In that case, the later *ȷ́iȷ́ʰwáH could be an assimilation and/or palatalization from *diȷ́ʰwáH. But Nuristani has distinctive treatment of palatals that I haven't studied in any depth, it's possibly that it was actually Nuristani that changed *ȷ́iȷ́ʰwáH to *diȷ́ʰwáH.

2. ^

   Lingurari are an ethnic group of Romani, descended from enslaved Romani in Wallachia (now Romania, no etymological relation to Romani). The Lingurari were part of the Boyash or Rudari group that were forced to give up their nomadic lifestyle and work in mines. When the mines became depleted, many switched to making their living as wood-carvers, including the Lingurari or "Spoon-makers".