Cognate Set 5826 – Meaning: back

IE-CoR reference form:
ῥάχις / rháchis
IE-CoR reference language:
Greek: Ancient
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Hellenic lexemes continuing Ancient Greek ῥάχις 'spine, back' (Babinotis 2010:1207). Further etymology outside of Greek disputed; older literature compares to Lith. ražis 'stubble', from a preform *urág̑ʰ-i-, although the supposition of such a form would require postulating *a ~ *ā ablaut (with a full or lengthened grade in ῥᾱχός or ῥηχός) (cf. IEW 1180, Chantraine 1968–1980:968-969, Beekes 2010:1277-1278).
Found in clades:
Hellenic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 4 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
11   Greek: Cypriot rášī ράσ̆η ˈrɐʃi ˈrɐxi
14   Tsakonian: Propontis ráchī ράχη ˈraçi ˈraxi
10   Greek: Pontic ráchä ράχα̈ ˈraçæ ˈraxia also /ˈraʃa/
9   Greek: Cappadocian tré(ch)i τρέ(χ)ι ˈtre(ç)i ˈtre(x)i also /(t)reʃ/; < determiner + ράχη
References
  • Babinotis, George: 1207
    S.v. SMG ράχη, from Ancient Greek ῥάχις 'lower part of the back; spine'.
  • Beekes, Robert: 1277-1278
    S.v. ῥαχίς, -ιος 'spine, back', often metaphorically 'ridge'. Older literature compares ῥάχις 'spine; back' to Lith. ražis 'stubble', from a preform *urág̑ʰ-i-, but Beekes rejects IE connections on the basis that the apparent *a ~ *ā ablaut found in ῥᾱχός (Ion. ῥηχός) 'thorn-hedge, twig' cannot be Indo-European in origin.
  • Chantraine, Pierre: 968-969
    S.v. ῥάχις, -ιος 'colonne vertébrale, échine'. One connects in view of [IEW](src-49) 1180 to Lith. ražỹs 'chaume' with rãžas 'chaume, pointe de fourche, branche sèche'.