Proto-Indo-European
Conjugate VerbsFacts
- Language: Proto-Indo-European
- Alternate names:
- Language code: xinep
- Language family:
- Number of speakers:
- Script:
More information:
Introduction
The Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) is the unattested, reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans. The existence of such a language has been accepted by linguists for over a century, and there have been many attempts at reconstruction. Nevertheless, many disagreements and uncertainties remain.
The Verb
The Indo-European verb system is complex and, as the noun, exhibits a system of ablaut. Verbs have:
- at least four moods: indicative, imperative, subjunctive, optative, and the injunctive
- two voices (active and mediopassive)
- three persons (first, second and third)
- three numbers (singular, dual and plural).
Sample verb
PRESENT ACTIVE | |||||||
Indicative | Injunctive | Subjunctive | Optative | Imperative | |||
Present | Imperfect | I | II | ||||
Sg.1 | kʷi-néu-mi | h₁é-kʷi-neu-m | kʷi-néu-m | kʷi-néu-oH | kʷi-nu-iéh₁-m | - | - |
Sg.2 | kʷi-néu-si | h₁é-kʷi-neu-s | kʷi-néu-s | kʷi-néu-eh₁i | kʷi-nu-iéh₁-s | kʷi-nú(-dʰí) | kʷi-nú-tṓd |
Sg.3 | kʷi-néu-ti | h₁é-kʷi-neu-t | kʷi-néu-t | kʷi-néu-e | kʷi-nu-iéh₁-t | kʷi-néu-tu | kʷi-néu-tṓd |
Pl.1 | kʷi-nu-més | h₁é-kʷi-nu-mé | kʷi-nu-mé | kʷi-néu-omom | kʷi-nu-ih₁-mé | - | - |
Pl.2 | kʷi-nu-th₁é | h₁é-kʷi-nu-té | kʷi-nu-té | kʷi-néu-eth₁e | kʷi-nu-ih₁-té | kʷi-nu-té | kʷi-nu-tṓd |
Pl.3 | kʷi-nu-énti | h₁é-kʷi-nu-(e)nt | kʷi-nu-ént | kʷi-néu-o | kʷi-néu-ih₁-nt | kʷi-nu-éntu | kʷi-nu-tṓd |
PRESENT MIDDLE | |||||||
Indicative | Injunctive | Subjunctive | Optative | Imperative | |||
Present | Imperfect | I | II | ||||
Sg.1 | kʷi-nu-mh₂ | h₁é-kʷi-nu-mh₂ | kʷi-nu-mh₂ | kʷi-néu-omh₂ | kʷi-nu-ih₂-h₂ | - | - |
Sg.2 | kʷi-nu-sth₂ó | h₁é-kʷi-nu-sth₂ó | kʷi-nu-sth₂ó | kʷi-néu-esth₂ó | kʷi-nu-ih₂-th₂ó | kʷi-nu-sué | kʷi-nu-tṓd |
Sg.3 | kʷi-nu-tó | h₁é-kʷi-nu-to | kʷi-nu-tó | kʷi-néu-eto | kʷi-nu-ih₂-ó | kʷi-nu-tó? | kʷi-nu-tṓd |
Pl.1 | kʷi-nu-me(s)dʰh₂ | h₁é-kʷi-nu-me(s)dʰh₂ | kʷi-nu-me(s)dʰh₂ | kʷi-néu-ome(s)dʰh₂ | kʷi-nu-ih₂-mé(s)dʰh₂ | - | - |
Pl.2 | kʷi-nu-dʰue | h₁é-kʷi-nu-dʰue | kʷi-nu-dʰue | kʷi-néu-etdʰue | kʷi-nu-ih₂-dʰué | kʷi-nu-tdʰue | kʷi-nu-tṓd |
Pl.3 | kʷi-nu-ntro | h₁é-kʷi-nu-ntro | kʷi-nu-ntro | kʷi-néu-ontro | kʷi-nu-ih₂-ro | kʷi-nu-ntó? | kʷi-nu-tṓd |
Verblist
Proto-Indo-European, bʰéh₂ti, bʰéreti, bʰéwdʰeti, bʰéydt, bʰéydʰeti, bʰebʰówdʰe, bʰebʰóydʰe, bʰinédti, bʰoréyeti, bʰowdʰéyeti, bʰúHt, bʰuHyéti, dḗyḱst, dédeh₃ti, déh₃t, déwkti, déyḱti, dedwóye, dʰédʰeh₁ti, dʰégʷʰeti, dʰéh₁t, dʰéwgʰti, dʰedʰórse, dʰedʰówgʰe, ǵéwseti, ǵnéh₃t, ǵn̥h₃sḱéti, ǵn̥néh₃ti, gʷémt, gʷérh₃ti, gʷegʷóme, gʷíh₃weti, gʷm̥sḱéti, gʷʰédʰyeti, gʷʰénti, gʷʰoréyeti, h₁ḗdti, h₁édti, h₁ésti, h₁éyti, h₁ludʰét, h₁regʷesyéti, h₁rudʰéh₁ti, h₂éǵeti, h₂életi, h₂énh₁ti, h₂éryeti, h₂eh₂nóḱe, h₂eh₂ógʰe, h₂eh₂óyḱe, h₂ḱh₂owsyéti, h₂lékseti, h₂linéHti, h₂wḗh₁ti, h₂wéseti, h₃méyǵʰeti, h₃réǵeti, h₃roǵéyeti, h₃yébʰeti, Hréwpt, Hrunépti, Hyowdʰéyeti, ḱéleti, ḱéytor, ḱeḱlówe, ḱléwseti, ḱléwt, ḱléyeti, ḱl̥néwti, ḱl̥néyti, kapyéti, ḱréddʰh₁eti, ksnéwti, kʷrinéh₂ti, légʰyeti, léyǵʰti, léykʷt, lelóykʷe, linékʷti, mért, (me)mógʰe, memóne, minéwti, mléwHti, moréyeti, néweh₂ti, péh₂sti, pékʷeti, pérdetor, péth₂eti, píbeti, píph₃eti, pléh₁dʰh₁eti, pl̥néh₁ti, pr̥sḱéti, sédt, sédyeti, séh₂gyeti, sékʷetor, sérpeti, sísdeti, (s)kérdʰh₁eti, skéydt, skinédti, (s)néh₂ti, sodéyeti, spéḱyeti, srobʰéyeti, stéh₂t, stéh₂yeti, stéygʰeti, stestóh₂e, stísteh₂ti, stnéh₂ti, stoh₂éyeti, strowéyeti, télh₂t, térh₂t, térh₂uti, tetólh₂e, tetóne, tetórpe, tinéh₁ti, tḱéyti, tl̥néh₂ti, tn̥néwti, tonéyeti, torséyeti, wḗǵʰst, wéǵʰeti, wértti, wéryeti, wéstor, wéwket, wéydseti, wewórte, wóyde, wortéyeti, woséyeti, wr̥ǵyéti, yunégti.
References
- Beekes, Robert S.P.. Comparative Indo-European linguistics. John Benjamins Publishing Company. Amsterdam, 1995.