Cognate Set 1503 – Meaning: lake

IE-CoR reference form:
*lei̯-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Indo-European
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Tocharian and Hellenic lexemes derived from PIE *lei̯- (Beekes 2010:843-844, Adams 2013:614). The Tocharian lexemes are generally considered to be based on an *mn-stem neuter to an IE root *lei̯- (Ringe 1996:109, Adams 2013:614), and connected to the complex of words surrounding Gk. λειμών 'wet, grassy place, meadow' λίμην 'harbour', and λίμνη 'lake', but cf. van Windekens 1976:271-272 for older hypotheses.
Found in clades:
Hellenic, Tocharian
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 2 clades by 8 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
8   Greek: Modern Std límnī λίμνη ˈlimni ˈlimni
6   Greek: Ancient límnē λίμνη límnɛː límnɛː G.sg. λίμνης
3   Tocharian A lyäm lʲɨm lʲm
4   Tocharian B lyam lʲəm lʲəmə
11   Greek: Cypriot límnī λίμνη ˈlimni ˈlimni
13   Tsakonian: Peloponnese límna λίμνα ˈʎimna ˈʎimna
14   Tsakonian: Propontis límna λίμνα ˈʎimna ˈʎimna
10   Greek: Pontic limní(n), limnítsi(n) λιμνί(ν), λιμνίτσι(ν) liˈmnin, liˈmnitsi(n) liˈmni(n), liˈmnitsi(n)
References
  • Adams, Douglas Q.: 614
    S.v. TochB lyam 'lake'. Adams rejects the etymology of [van Windekens 1976](src-76):271-272 with Lithuanian lāma 'place in a field, marsh, ditch' in favour of a derivation from PIE *limn̥, the neuter equivalent to animate *limén- which is Gk. λίμην 'harbour', or its derivatives λίμνη 'pool of standing water, mere', λείμων 'watery meadow'.
  • Beekes, Robert: 843-844
    S.v. λειμών -ῶνος 'moist, grassy place, meadow' and λιμήν 'harbour, protected creek'. The Greek forms are are generalised from different accent/ablaut forms of PIE N.sg. *lei̯-mōn, A.sg. li-mén-m̥, gen. li-mn-ós. λίμνη 'stagnant water, pond, lake, marsh' itself appears to be a secondarily derived ā-stem derived from the weakest stem, i.e. (transponat) *li-mn-eh₂
  • Chantraine, Pierre: 627-628
    Cf. s.v. AGk. λειμών, -ῶνος 'prairie humide', with secondary derivative with zero-grade of root and suffix λί-μν-η 'eau stagnante, lac, étang'.
  • Ringe, Donald A.: 109
    Derives Tocharian forms via zero-grade *límn̥ > *límə > *lʸímə > PT *lʸə́mə > TB lyam, TA lyäm.
  • van Windekens, A. J.: 271-272