Cognate Set 648 – Meaning: snake

IE-CoR reference form:
*He(n)gʷʰi-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Indo-European
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Hellenic, Armenian, Indo-Iranic, Balto-Slavic, and Italic lexemes generally considered to be cognate, although the precise reconstruction debated; some taboo distortion is likely to have occurred in some branches (Sihler 1995:163, Katz 1998; cf. Beekes 2010:1134-1135, Babinotis 2010:1535, Martirosyan 2010:153, EWAia I:157, Turner 1962–1966:44 no. 994, ALEW 40-41, Derksen 2015:55, Derksen 2008:388, de Vaan 2008:42).
Found in clades:
Armenian, Baltic, Hellenic, Indic, Iranic, Italic, Slavic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 7 clades by 20 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
17   Armenian: Western ōj օձ ɔts ots
16   Armenian: Eastern ōj օձ ɔdz odz
8   Greek: Modern Std fídi φίδι ˈfiði ˈfiði
88   Polish wąż vɔɰ̃ʂ voŋʐ
6   Greek: Ancient óphis ὄφις ó̞pʰis ó̞pʰis G.sg. ὄφεως
21   Vedic: Early áhiḥ अहिः ˈɐɦih áhis mythical snake, dragon
124   Latin anguis ˈaŋɡwis ˈanɡwis Of the two Latin "snake" words, anguis is probably the higher register and serpens the lower (e.g. in Cato).
77   Old Prussian angis
15   Armenian: Classical awj աւձ ɔdz ɑudz-i-
46   Avestan: Younger aži 𐬀𐬲𐬌 aʒi snake, dragon
95   Sorbian: Lower wuž uʂ uʐ An alternative lexeme is 'zmija' but it has also a more specified meaning 'viper'.
7   Greek: New Testament óphis ὄφις ˈo̞pʰis ˈo̞pʰis
14   Tsakonian: Propontis fídi φίδι ˈfiði ˈfiði
9   Greek: Cappadocian fith φιθ fiθ fið
10   Greek: Pontic ofídi(n) οφίδι(ν) o̞ˈfiði(n) o̞ˈfiði(n)
12   Greek: Italiot fídi φίδι ˈfiði ˈfiði Cal.; / o̞ˈfidi/ Ap.
13   Tsakonian: Peloponnese oú(i)thi ού(ι)θι ˈu(j)θi ˈuθi
87   Old Polish wąż vɒ̃ːʐ/ʂ vãːʐ
47   Khwarazmian yez yyz i̯ez etymology following Benzing (1983: 707)
38   Khowar ayi ائی ɜˈji ɑjí
References
  • Babinotis, George: 1535
    S.v. φίδι, from Hellenistic ὀφίδιον, diminutive of Ancient Greek ὄφις 'snake'.
  • Beekes, Robert: 1134-1135
    S.v. ὄφις 'snake'. Probably identical to Skt. áhi-, Av. aži- from PIE *h₃égʷʰi- 'snake'. The lack of Brugmann's Law in Sanskrit points to an original e-grade.
  • Boryś, W.: 683
    PS *ǫžĭ is related to Lithuanian angìs, Latin anguis and Old High German unc. PIE *angʷ(ʰ)i- 'snake, viper, worm'.
  • Derksen, Rick: 388
    S.v. Proto-Slavic *ǫžь 'snake', from PIE *h₂engʷʰ-i- (cf. Lith. angìs 'snake', Latv. uôdze 'adder', Lat. anguis 'snake', OHG unc 'snake', MIr. escung 'eel').
  • Derksen, Rick: 55
    S.v. Lith. angìs 'snake' (Latv. uôdze 'adder'), from PIE *h₂engʷʰ-i- (cf. Lat. anguis 'snake', MIr. escung 'eel', OHG unc 'snake', Arm. awj 'snake').
  • Hock, Wolfgang and Fecht, Rainer and Feulner, Anna Helene and Hill, Eugen and Wodtko, Dagmar S.: 40-41
    Cf. s.v. OLith. angìs 'Giftschlange, Otter' (BSl. Latv. ùoc, 'Otter, Kreuzotter', OPr. angis 'Schlange', Slovene vọ̑z 'Grasschlange', etc. from PIE *n̥-ngʷí- 'Schlange' (cf. Lat. anguis 'Schlange', OIr. escung 'Aal', MW llysywen 'Aal', OHG unk 'Schlange, Natter', etc.).
  • Katz, J. T.: 317-334
    Cf. for extensive discussion of the words for 'snake', 'eel', etc. in Indo-European.
  • Liosis, Nikos:
    Tsakonian ού(ι)θι < ΑG ὄφις. All changes are regular: fi > θi, e.g. θίλε (< φίλος) ‘friend’, νύθη (< νύφη) ‘bride’ etc.; i-metathesis next to dentals, e.g. λαλούδι > λαλού(ι)δι etc.
  • Martirosyan, Hrach: 153
    S.v. Arm. awj 'snake'. Since long connected with Lat. anguis 'snake', assuming a development *angʷʰ-i- (*h₂engʷʰ-i-) > PArm. *anʷgi- > *awg̑ʰi- > awj-i-.
  • Mayrhofer, Manfred: I:157
    S.v. Ved. áhi- 'Schlange, Natter' (YAv. aži- 'Schlange, Drache', MPers. až 'Drache). Several connections possible to vocabulary outside of Indo-Iranian. The exact connections are exacerbated through possible taboo distortions.
  • Sihler, Andrew Littleton: 163
    Reconstructs *h₃egʷʰi-, but the precise PIE reconstruction is disputed as not all reflexes attested can be reconciled to a single reconstruction. There is likely some taboo distortion occurring in this lexeme in independent branches.
  • Turner, Ralph Lilley: 44
    Cf. s.v. 994 Ved. áhi 'snake' RV.
  • de Vaan, Michiel: 42
    S.v. Lat. anguis 'snake', from PIE *h₂(e)ngʷʰ-i- 'snake' (cf. MIr. escung 'eel' (lit. water-snake), OPr. angis, Lith. angìs < *h₂e/ongʷʰ-, Ru. už, Po. wąż, OHG unc < *h₂ngʷʰ-). Several IE languages have a similar preform *h₂e/ogʷʰ- without an internal nasal (Gk. ἔχις 'snake', Arm. iž, Gk. ὄφις 'snake', Skt. áhi-, Av. aži- 'snake, dragon'. Perhaps *n was introduced into this stem on analogy to verbs for 'to twist, wind'.