August theme: Earth and Water 🌎🌊

Introduction

*wed-: "water" and some potentially related other roots

I love how Indo-European *udrós, "aquatic", became the word for "otter" in 4 out of the 5 branches where it is attested, except for Greek where it became "sea serpent".

Teaser

wash, otter, hydra, vodka, whiskey, water, hydrogen, redundant

Full Text

• Proto-Indo-European *wed- water

  • Proto-Indo-European *wodsḱeti iterative verb

    • Germanic *waskaną to wash

      • North Germanic

        • Old Norse vaska to wash

          • Danish vaske to wash, to launder, to shuffle
          • Icelandic vaska to wash
      • West Germanic

        • Old English wascan to wash

          • English wash
        • Old High German waskan

          • German waschen to wash
          • Yiddish וואַשן vashn to wash
        • Frankish *waskan to wash

          • Dutch wassen to wash
          • French gâcher to soak, to ruin, spoil, to waste, to mess up
  • Proto-Indo-European *wédos- action noun, "waterer"?, "wateringness"?

    • Armenian գետ get river
    • Germanic *wētaz wet

      • North Germanic

        • Old Norse vátr wet

          • Danish våd wet
          • Icelandic votur wet
      • West Germanic

        • Old English wǣt wet

          • English wet adjective
      • Germanic *wētijǭ wetness, moisture

        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse væta

            • Danish væde moisture
            • Icelandic væta wetness, moisture, rainy weather
      • Germanic *wētijaną to make wet, to wet

        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse væta

            • Danish væde to wet, to moisten
            • Icelandic væta to wet, to make wet
        • West Germanic

          • Old English wǣtan to wet, to moisten

            • English wet verb
            • Old English (ġe)wǣted made wet, wetted

              • Middle English (y)wett

                • English wet adjective
    • Indo-Iranian

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀉𑀢𑁆𑀲 útsa spring, fountain
  • Proto-Indo-European *wedros water-like, watery

    • Italic *wedrom glass

      • Latin vitrum glass

        • Central Romance

          • Italian vetro glass
        • Eastern Romance

          • Romanian vitră
        • Western Romance

          • French verre glass
          • Spanish vidrio glass
        • French vitre pane of glass, car window re-borrowing

          • French vitrine shop window, glass-panelled showcase, vitrine

            • English vitrine
            • Swedish vitrin vitrine
            • Greek βιτρίνα vitrína vitrine
          • Welsh gwydr glass
        • French vitrifier to vitrify, to lacquer

          • English vitrify
        • Latin vitriolum iron sulfate, sulfuric acid, vitriol

          • Western Romance

            • French vitriol vitriol

              • English vitriol
        • Medieval Latin vitrosus glass, transparent

          • French vitreux glassy, vitreous
          • English vitreous
    • Proto-Indo-European *udrós of water, aquatic (animal)

      • Balto-Slavic *ūˀdrāˀ otter

        • East Baltic

          • Lithuanian ū́dra otter
        • Slavic *vỳdra otter

          • East Slavic

            • Russian вы́дра výdra otter
            • Yiddish ווידרע
          • South Slavic

            • Bulgarian ви́дра vídra otter

              • Albanian vidër otter
              • Greek βίδρα vídra otter
              • Hungarian vidra otter
              • Bulgarian vidră otter
            • Serbo-Croatian ви́дра výdra otter
          • West Slavic

            • Czech vydra otter
            • Polish wydra otter
        • West Baltic

          • Old Prussian vdro otter
      • Germanic *utraz

        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse otr otter

            • Danish odder otter
            • Icelandic otur otter
        • West Germanic

          • Old English oter otter

            • English otter
            • Scots otter
          • Frankish

            • Dutch otter
          • Old High German ottar otter

            • German Otter otter
      • Hellenic

        • Mycenaean Greek 𐀄𐀈𐀫 u-do-ro
        • Classical Greek ὕδρα húdra sea snake, sea serpent, hydra

          • Latin hydra

            • English hydra
      • Indo-Iranian *udrás

        • Indo-Aryan *udrás

          • Sanskrit 𑀉𑀤𑁆𑀭 udrá otter, aquatic animal

            • Magadhi

              • Assamese উদ ud otter
            • Sauraseni

              • Madhya Sauraseni

                • Hindi ऊद ūd otter, beaver rare

                  • Hindi ऊदबिलाव ūdbilāv otter, beaver more common. derivationally, "otter-civet"
            • Telugu ఉద్రము udramu otter
        • Iranian *udráh otter

          • Avestan 𐬎𐬛𐬭𐬀 udra- otter
          • Northern Iranian

            • Scythian

              • Ossetian уырд wyrd otter
          • Western Iranian

            • Old Persian

              • Middle Persian 𐭠𐭥𐭣𐭫𐭪 udrag

                • Persian اودر‏ ūdar otter archaic
      • Italic

        • Latin lutra otter ^[1]

          • Central Romance

            • Italian lontra otter
          • Insular Romance

            • Sardinian lontra
          • Eastern Romance

            • Romanian lutră otter
          • Western Romance

            • French loutre otter
            • Spanish lutria otter
            • Spanish nutria otter
          • Translingual Lutra taxnomic genus of Old World river otters
        • Albanian ujë water
  • Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ water oblique form was originally *wedn̥-, later *udén-

    • Pre-Albanian *udrijā
    • Anatolian

      • Hittite 𒉿𒀀𒋻 wa-a-tar water ^[2]
    • Balto-Slavic *wandō water

      • East Baltic

        • Lithuanian vanduõ water, flow, current

          • Lithuanian vandenilis hydrogen
      • Slavic *vodà water

        • East Slavic

          • Russian вода́ vodá water

            • Russian водоро́д vodoród hydrogen
            • Russian во́дка vódka vodka, distilled alcohol вода́ + -ка, a nominal derivational suffix, often dimunitve ^[3]

              • English vodka ^[3]

                • Japanese ウォッカ wokka vodka
        • South Slavic

          • Serbo-Croatian во̀да vòda water

            • Serbo-Croatian во̀дӣк vòdīk hydrogen
            • Serbo-Croatian водоник vodonik hydrogen
        • West Slavic

          • Polish woda water

            • Polish wodór hydrogen
        • Slavic *vědro (water) bucket

          • East Slavic

            • Russian ведро́ vedró bucket also an old Russian unit of liquid measurement ~ 12 liters
            • Ukrainian відро́ vidró bucket
          • South Slavic

            • Bulgarian ведро́ vedró bucket

              • Albanian vedër bucket, milk pail
              • Greek βέδρον védron
              • Hungarian veder bucket
              • Hungarian vödör bucket different adaptation to vowel harmony
            • Serbo-Croatian ве̏дро vȅdro bucket
          • West Slavic

            • Czech vědro bucket
            • Polish wiadro bucket
      • West Baltic

        • Old Prussian wundan water
    • Celtic *udens

      • Celtic *udenskyos water

        • Irish uisce water

          • Irish uisce beatha whiskey, distilled alchohol ^[3]

            • English whiskey

              • Irish fuisce whiskey
              • Japanese ウィスキー wisukī whiskey
    • Germanic *watōr water

      • East Germanic

        • Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 watō water
      • North Germanic

        • Old Norse vatn water, lake, river

          • Danish vand water
          • Icelandic vatn water, lake

            • Icelandic vetni hydrogen
      • West Germanic

        • Old English wæter water

          • English water

            • Jamaican Creole wata water
          • Scots watir water
        • Old High German

          • German Wasser

            • German Wasserstoff hydrogen "water-stuff"
          • Yiddish וואַסער vaser water
    • Hellenic

      • Mycenaean Greek 𐀄𐀈 u-do water

        • Classical Greek ῠ̔́δωρ húdōr water, rain, sweat, time

          • English hydro-
          • French hydro-

            • French hydrogène hydrogen

              • Translingual H
              • English hydrogen
          • Classical Greek ὑδράργῠρος hudrárguros mercury, quicksilver lit. "water-silver"

            • Latin hydrargyrus mercury, quicksilver

              • New Latin hydrargyrum mercury

                • Translingual Hg
          • Classical Greek ἔνῠδρῐς énudris otter, water snake
    • Illyrian *adur

      • Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 hatria

        • Latin Hadria

          • Latin Hadriānus of Hadria (also a family name)

            • English Hadrian
            • English Adrian
          • Latin Adria

            • Central Romance

              • Italian Adria

                • English Adria
            • Western Romance
            • Latin Adriāticus

              • English Adriatic
    • Indo-Iranian

      • Indo-Aryan

        • Sanskrit 𑀉𑀤𑀦𑁆 udán water, wave

          • Northwestern Sauraseni

            • Kashmiri اودُر odūr wet
          • Hindi उदजन udjan hydrogen learned borrowing
          • Sanskrit 𑀉𑀤𑀓 udaká water, ablution

            • Elu

              • Sinhala දිය diya
            • Magadhi 𑀉𑀤𑀅 udaa water
            • Pali 𑀉𑀤𑀓 udaka
            • Sauraseni 𑀉𑀤𑀅 udaa water
            • Hindi उदक udak
            • Telugu ఉదకము udakamu water
    • Italic

      • Latin unda wave

        • Central Romance

          • Italian onda wave
        • Insular Romance

          • Sardinian unda
        • Eastern Romance

          • Romanian undă wave
        • Western Romance

          • French onde wave (technical) ^[4]

            • French onduler to wave (a hand) ^[4]
          • Spanish onda wave, style, mood

            • Italian
        • Latin undāre to wave, to undulate, to rise in waves

          • Eastern Romance

            • Romanian a unda to boil, to boil over, to surge
          • Latin abundāre to flow from, to overflow, to exceed

            • Central Romance

              • Italian abbondàre to be plentiful, to have or use in large quantities, to abound
            • Insular Romance

              • Sardinian abbunnàri
            • Western Romance

              • Old French abonder

                • French abonder to be found in large amounts, to abound, to finance
                • English abound
              • Spanish abundar to abound, to satisfy
            • Latin abundāns overflowing, abundant, copious

              • English abundant
          • Latin inundāre flood "in-wave"

            • English inundate
            • Spanish inundar to flood
          • Latin redundāre to overflow, to pour forth "back-wave"

            • Central Romance

              • Italian ridondàre to overflow, to abound, to overwhelm, to change direction
            • Western Romance

              • Old French redunder

                • French redonder to be redundant, to have too much
                • English redound
              • Spanish redundar to redound, to result in

                • English dunder

                  • English dunderhead
              • Latin redundāns overflowing

                • English redundant
        • Latin undulātus wavy

          • English undulate
        • Vulgar Latin *undidiāre

          • Central Romance

            • Italian ondeggiàre
          • Eastern Romance

            • Romanian a undeza
          • Western Romance

            • French ondoyer
            • Spanish ondear
        • New Latin undina female water spirit, undine coined by Paracelsus in the 16th C

          • German Undine undine
          • English undine
          • French ondine undine, mermaid
          • Italian ondina undine, mermaid, female swimming champion
      • Umbrian 𐌖𐌕𐌖𐌓 utur water

        • Latin ūter water skin, wineskin, hide bag for flotation
      • Venetic adur water

        • Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 hatria

          • Latin Hadria

            • Latin Hadriānus of Hadria (also a family name)

              • English Hadrian
              • English Adrian
            • Latin Adria

              • Central Romance

                • Italian Adria

                  • English Adria
              • Western Romance
              • Latin Adriāticus

                • English Adriatic
    • Tocharian

      • Arshian wär water
    • Venetic *adur

      • Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 hatria

        • Latin Hadria

          • Latin Hadriānus of Hadria (also a family name)

            • English Hadrian
            • English Adrian
          • Latin Adria

            • Central Romance

              • Italian Adria

                • English Adria
            • Western Romance
            • Latin Adriāticus

              • English Adriatic
    • Proto-Indo-European *woh₁r one of several possible *d -> *h₁ alternations

      • Anatolian

        • Cuneiform Luwian 𒉿𒀀𒅈 wa-a-ar water
      • Balto-Slavic

        • West Baltic

          • Old Prussian wurs pond
      • Germanic

        • North Germanic

          • Old Norse vari blood, blood plasma
      • Indo-Iranian *waHr

        • Indo-Aryan

          • Sanskrit वार् var water, pool
        • Iranian *wāra rain

          • Avestan 𐬬𐬁𐬭𐬀 vāra rain
          • Western Iranian *wārān

            • Northwestern Iranian

              • Kurdish baran rain
            • Old Persian

              • Middle Persian 𐭡𐭠𐭫𐭠𐭭 wʾrʾn

                • Persian باران bârân rain
      • Italic *wōr- water

        • Italic *ūrinos made of water, watery

          • Latin ūrīna urine

            • Central Romance

              • Italian orina

                • Italian urina re-Latinized
            • Western Romance

              • Old French orine

                • French urine re-Latinized
                • English urine re-Latinized
              • Spanish orina
        • Italic *urintor

          • Latin ūrīnārī to dive, to plunge into water
      • Proto-Indo-European *h₁wers- rain

        • Proto-Indo-European *h₁wérseti rains primary verb

          • Indo-Iranian

            • Indo-Aryan

              • Sanskrit 𑀯𑀭𑁆𑀱𑀢𑀺 várṣati to rain, to pour, to bestow, to be vigorous
        • Proto-Indo-European *h₁worséyeti causative

          • Hellenic *eworhéyō I make rain

            • Classical Greek οὐρέω ouréō
            • Hellenic *eworsanós rain-causer?

              • Classical Greek οὐρανός ouranós the sky, the heavens, the universe

                • Latin Uranus

                  • English Uranus
        • Proto-Indo-European *h₁wr̥stós rained, rainy adjective

          • Celtic *wrastos

            • Old Irish fros rain shower
          • Indo-Iranian *Hwr̥štás

            • Indo-Aryan

              • Sanskrit 𑀯𑀾𑀱𑁆𑀝 vṛṣṭá rained
            • Iranian

              • Avestan *varᵊšta

                • Avestan 𐬀𐬌𐬡𐬌𐬬𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬱𐬙𐬀 aᶤβi-varᵊšta rained upon
        • Proto-Indo-European *h₁wersóm rain noun
        • Anatolian

          • Hittite warsa- rainfall, dew
        • Indo-Iranian *Hwaršám

          • Indo-Aryan

            • Sanskrit 𑀯𑀭𑁆𑀱 varṣá rain, the rainy season, a year

              • Magadhi

                • Assamese বৰষ borox to rain
              • Sauraseni 𑀯𑀭𑀺𑀱𑀦𑁆𑀢 variṣanta

                • Madhya Sauraseni

                  • Hindi बरसना barasnā to rain
                • Northwestern Sauraseni

                  • Khowar بوۨشىک bosik to rain
                  • Punjabi ਵੱਸਣਾ vassaṇā to fall (of rain), to settle, to reside
                • Western Sauraseni

                  • Romani briśind rain
        • Proto-Indo-European *h₂worsom rain noun

          • Hellenic *eworhon

            • Classical Greek οὖρον oûron urine
        • Proto-Indo-European *h₁wérsos

          • Hellenic *ewérsā

            • Classical Greek ἕρση hérsē dew, raindrop
        • Proto-Indo-European *pro-h₁wérs

          • Indo-Iranian *praHwŕ̥š

            • Indo-Aryan

              • Sanskrit 𑀧𑁆𑀭𑀸𑀯𑀾𑀱𑁆 prāvṛ́ṣ rainy season, monsoon
      • Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer- proposed alternation of *weh₁r-

        • Indo-European substrate **h₂wereh₂

          • Latin Avāra river

            • Western Romance

              • French Yèvre
          • Indo-European substrate **h₂werōn

            • Latin Auron tributary of the Avāra

              • French Auron
  • Uralic *wete water ^[5]

    • Finno-Ugric

      • Finnic *veci water

        • Finnish vesi water, lake, rheum, hydro-

          • Finnish vety hydrogen
      • Ugric

        • Hungarian víz water
    • Samic *vëcë freshly fallen snow

      • Northern Sami vahca freshly fallen snow
      • Finnish viti freshly fallen white and dry snow archaic
    • Samoyedic *wet

      • Nenets иʺ yiq water

Visual

Collected English words

wash, wet, wet, vitrine, vitrify, vitriol, vitreous, otter, hydra, Lutra, vodka, whiskey, water, hydro-, H, hydrogen, Hg, abound, abundant, inundate, redound, dunder, dunderhead, redundant, undulate, undine, Hadrian, Adrian, Adria, Adriatic, urine, Uranus

Footnotes

1. ^
2. ^

   Hittite 𒉿𒀀𒋻 wa-a-tar is the word that first triggered the realization by Bedřich Hrozný that Hittite was an Indo-European language, during his decipherment of Hittite in 1917.

3. ^

   As distilled alcohols, whiskey and vodka come from words meaning "water" because they are calques of the Latin aqua vitae, coined as the process of distillation was spread through Europe by monks during the late Medieval and early Renaissance eras.

4. ^

   French onde is a technical term. The normal term for a wave is vague, from the Germanic *wēgaz, same as English wave. Note that even though the French onduler, "to wave one's hand", is derived from onde, the English wave of that meaning is from a different Germanic root *wabjaną: "to wander, to sway".

   The initial 'l' in Latin lutra is irregular and unexplained. Suggestions include modification by association to lupus, "wolf" (cf. lobo del río) or ludo, "play".

5. ^

   Uralic *wete was likely borrowed from Indo-European to Uralic, replacing the inherited *śäčä in many branches.