Cognate Set 1108 – Meaning: big

IE-CoR reference form:
*gelH-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Indo-European
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Adjectives continuing Proto-Slavic Proto-Slavic *golěmŭ 'big', whose root etymology is generally agreed to be related to Baltic lexemes such as Lithuanian galė́ti 'to be able' (Derksen 2008:174, ESSJa VI:202-204). Further to PIE *gelH- or *galH- 'to have power over' (LIV² 185-186, cf. ALEW 287-289).
Found in clades:
Slavic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 4 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
79   Bulgarian golâm голям ɡuˈlʲɑ̈m ɡoˈljam 'велик' means 'great'.
80   Macedonian golem голем ˈɡo̞lɛm ˈɡolem 'Велик' means 'grat' and is bookish.
81   Macedonian: Suho gul′ä̀m ɡuˈlʲæm ɡuˈlæm
82   Macedonian: Visoka gul′ä̀m ɡuˈlʲɑ̈m ɡuˈlæm
References
  • Boryś, Wiesław and Popowska-Taborska, Hanna: 2: 153-154
    It can be related to Lithuanian galėti 'can'.
  • Derksen, Rick: 174
    S.v. Proto-Slavic *golěmъ 'big' (ESSJa VI 202-204). "The root of this adjective may be identified with the root of Lith. galė́ti 'be able' and W gallu 'id.' which is best reconstructed as *gal(H), with "European" a."
  • Georgiev, V. and Račeva, M. and Todorov, T. and Durdianov, I.: 262-263
    Further etymology is not entirely certain. It is related to Lithuanian galėti 'can', galia 'power', Irish gal 'courage', Old Breton gal 'power, strenght'. PIE *gal- or *ghal-.
  • Rix, Helmut: 185-186
    Cf. s.v. *gelH- 'Macht bekommen über' (IEW 351). Cf. n1: May also be reconstructed as *galH- if *a transmitted by the individual languages continues the full-grade; *gelH- is nowhere attested.
  • Trubačev, O. N.: 202-204
    It is related to Lithuanian galėti 'can' and probably to Oscan valaimo- 'best, very good' and Latin valēre 'be strong'.