Cognate Set 953 – Meaning: water

IE-CoR reference form:
*h₂ekʷ-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Indo-European
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Pace Kroonen 2013, the different morphology of the Germanic-Italic lexemes on one hand and the Indo-Iranian, and Baltic lexemes on the other does not favour the view that PIE *h₂ekʷ- and *h₂ep- were variants of one another (Martin Kümmel, p.c.). Likewise it is not clear whether the Germanic and Italic lexemes are independent borrowings from a third source (as advocated by Beekes 1998), but in view of the regular correspondences between Italic and Germanic, gratuitous. Further proposed connections are less certain (cf. EWA 1 99-103 for a thorough discussion). Less certain is the connection of the Celtic and Anatolian lexemes (cf. discussion in cognate set 1735). Regarding the Oscan form in this class, an alternative root etymology to PIE *h₂ep- is sometimes considered on the basis of the apparent lengthened root vowel as in the Indo-Iranian forms (e.g. Skt. āp-) cf. Untermann 2000:42-43, de Vaan 2008:19), however it is possible that the lengthening of the vowel could be secondary. While it is possible that the Oscan form could preserve an isolated reflex of the root *h₂ep- as found in Indo-Iranian, Baltic, and Tocharian, given that there are no other potential reflexes of the root *h₂ep- in Italic connections with Latin aqua cannot be ruled out, and it seems preferable, on the balance of probability, to connect Oscan aapam with Latin aqua < *h₂ekʷ-(e)h₂ (acknowledged by both Untermann & de Vaan). (NB: In Oscan PIE *kʷ > p).
Found in clades:
Italic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 22 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
141   Catalan aigua ˈajɣwə ˈajɡwə
136   French eau o o
129   Italian acqua ˈakkwa ˈakkwa
131   Ladin ega ˈeɡa
144   Portuguese água ˈaɡwɐ ˈaɡwɐ
134   Sardinian: Logudoro abba ˈabba ˈabba
133   Sardinian: Nuoro abba ˈabba ˈabba
143   Spanish agua ˈaɣwa ˈaɡwa
137   Walloon êwe ɛːu̯ ɛːu̯
124   Latin aqua ˈakʷa ˈakʷa G.sg. aquae
130   Friulian aghe ˈaɡe ˈaɡe
125   Romanian apă ˈapə ˈapə
128   Neapolitan acqua ˈakkwə ˈakkwə
135   Anglo-Norman ewe
142   Old Spanish agua aɡwa
139   Franco-Provençal édÿe ˈedʲʝɵ̞ ˈedxø
138   Old Occitan aigua
126   Megleno-Romanian apă
140   Old Catalan aigua ajɣwə ajɣwə
146   Oscan aapam Native script: aapam (acc.sg., Sa 10, 12), aapa[m (acc.sg., Sa 11), aapas (gen.sg. or acc.pl., Fr 2).Possibly not Swadesh term!
145   Portuguese: Brazilian água
132   Milanese acua ˈakwa
References
  • Ernout, Alfred and Meillet, Antoine: 41-42
    S.v. Lat. aqua, -ae 'eau, considérée comme élément'. Lat. aqua has a precise correspondent in Germanic (cf. Goth. ahwa 'ποταμός', etc).
  • Kroonen, Guus: 7
    Cf. s.v. Proto-Germanic *ahwõ- 'river', from PIE *h₂ekʷ-eh₂-. A Germanic-Italic isogloss (cf. Lat. aqua 'water'). "The word is claimed to stem from a non-IE language ([Beekes 1998](src-709)), but it is more likely to be a formal variant of Hitt. ḫapa- c. 'river', Skt. áp-, OAv. ap- f. 'water' < *h₂ep-, Lat. amnis f. 'stream, river' < *h₂ep-ni- and OIr. ab, aub f. W afon f. 'river' < *h₂epHon- (with *-pH- > *b) as in Skt. píbati 'to drink' < PIE *pi-ph₃-é-). Perhaps the cluster *-pH- developed into *-kʷ- in Germanic and Latin."
  • Lloyd, Albert L. and Springer, Otto: 99-103
    Cf. s.v. OHG aha 'Wasser(lauf), Fluß, Strom'. Outside of Germanic only the Italic cognates (Lat. aqua) are unobjectionable. < *akʷā < *h₂ekʷeh₂. Less certain are further connections to river names in Baltic and Slavic, and the word for 'river' in Celtic (W afon, Gaulish -apa) and Anatolian (Hitt. ḫapa-).
  • Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm: 46
    Cf. s.v. 570 Lat. aqua 'Wasser' for Romance lexemes.
  • Scarborough, Matthew:
    Pace [Kroonen 2013](src-165), the different morphology of the Germanic-Italic lexemes on one hand and the Indo-Iranian, and Baltic lexemes on the other does not favour the view that PIE *h₂ekʷ- and *h₂ep- were variants of one another (Martin Kümmel, p.c.). Likewise it is not clear whether the Germanic and Italic lexemes are independent borrowings from a third source (as advocated by [Beekes 1998](src-709)), but in view of the regular correspondences between Italic and Germanic, gratuitous. Further proposed connections are less certain (cf. [EWA 1](src-383) 99-103 for a thorough discussion). Less certain is the connection of the Celtic and Anatolian lexemes (cf. discussion in [cognate set 1735](cog-1735)). Regarding the Oscan form in this class, an alternative root etymology to PIE *h₂ep- is sometimes considered on the basis of the apparent lengthened root vowel as in the Indo-Iranian forms (e.g. Skt. āp-) cf. [Untermann 2000](src-279):42-43, [de Vaan 2008](src-54):19), however it is possible that the lengthening of the vowel could be secondary. While it is possible that the Oscan form could preserve an isolated reflex of the root *h₂ep- as found in Indo-Iranian, Baltic, and Tocharian, given that there are no other potential reflexes of the root *h₂ep- in Italic connections with Latin aqua cannot be ruled out, and it seems preferable, on the balance of probability, to connect Oscan <b>aapam</b> with Latin aqua < *h₂ekʷ-(e)h₂ (acknowledged by both Untermann & de Vaan). (NB: In Oscan PIE *kʷ > p).
  • Untermann, Jürgen: 42-43
    S.v. Osc. <b>aapam</b> "Vielleicht zu idg. *ə₂ep- 'Wasser' in ai.ap- 'Wasser' und den europäischen Flußnamen mit ap-. (…) Anders Mommsen, Muller: zu aqua; [lang] a- statt a- muß dann als sekundäre Dehnung (Pisani) oder Vermischung mit ap- (Untermann 304 Anm. 47, Heidermanns § 50) erklärt werden."
  • de Vaan, Michiel: 19, 48
    Cf. s.v. Osc. <b>aapam</b> [acc.sg.], <b>aapas</b> [gen.sg. or acc.pl] 'water', 'water basin' vel sim. "In theory, O. -<b>p</b>- could correspond with -qu- in Lat. aqua 'water'; but in view of long initial /ā-/ in Oscan, it seems preferable to derive it from PIE *h₂ē̆p- 'water' as attested in IIr., Baltic and Tocharian." and s.v. Lat. aqua 'water', from Proto-Italic *akwā- 'water' (cf. Goth. aƕa, OHG aha < PGmc. *aχʷō 'water'). "According to [Beekes 1998](src-709), other suggested cognates, such as OIc. ægir 'sea, ocean' are very uncertain. Even if cognate, Germano-Italic *akwā- may well be a loanword from a non-IE language."