Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)mel-

This Proto-Indo-European entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-European

Alternative forms

*mel-^[1]^[2]^[3]
*(s)mal-

Etymology

Uncertain; the connection between each form is semantically fine, however their isolation makes this reconstruction suspect.^[2]

Root

*(s)mel-^[4]

false, erroneous
bad, evil

Derived terms

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *mel- (6 c, 0 e)

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)mel- (25 c, 0 e)

*(s)mél-o-s^[4]
- Proto-Balto-Slavic: *melas
  - Lithuanian: mẽlas (“a lie”)

*(s)mél-es-^[1]^[5]
- Proto-Hellenic: *mélehos
  - Ancient Greek: μέλεος (méleos, “idle, useless”)

*(s)mól-o-s^[2]
- Proto-Italic: *malos^[2]
  - Latin: malus (“unpleasant, bad”) (possibly^[6], alternatively from *(s)meh₂l- (“small”),^[7] cf. *smalaz)
  - ⇒ Proto-Italic: *malwos or *malyos^[2]
    - Oscan: mallom, malom (acc.sg.), mallud, malud (“bad, evil”, abl.sg.)
- Proto-Tocharian:
  - Tocharian A: smale (“a lie”)^[4]

*(s)mel-s-eh₂^[3]
- Armenian:
  - Old Armenian: մեղ (meł, “sin, crime”)^[4] (possibly^[3])
    - Armenian: մեղք (meġkʻ)
    - ⇒ Old Armenian: մեղմեխ (mełmex) (possibly^[3], though disputed^[8])

*(s)mel-s-os^[1]^[9]
- Proto-Celtic: *mellos (“destruction, confusion”)^[9]
  - Old Irish: mell (“error, confusion”)
    - ⇒ Old Irish: millid (“to destroy”)

*(s)ml̥-s-bʰeh₂ -mo-s^[1]
- Proto-Hellenic: *mləspʰāmos
  - Ancient Greek: βλᾰ́σφημος (blásphēmos)

Unsorted formations

Armenian:
- Old Armenian: մող (moł), մոլիմ (molim), մոլորիմ (molorim)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Pokorny, Julius (1959) “2. mel-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 719
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “malus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 360
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pages 64-65
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, page 340
^ Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, page 194
^ Ernout, Alfred, Meillet, Antoine (1985) “malus”, in Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: histoire des mots‎^[1] (in French), 4th edition, with additions and corrections of Jacques André, Paris: Klincksieck, published 2001, pages 380-81
^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “mēlo-, smēlo-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 724
^ Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “մեղմեխ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 301b
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page mello- of 263-264

[IEW-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Pokorny, Julius (1959) “2. mel-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 719

[EDL-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “malus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 360

[Olsen-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pages 64-65

[PIEw-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, page 340

[5] Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, page 194

[6] Ernout, Alfred, Meillet, Antoine (1985) “malus”, in Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: histoire des mots‎^[1] (in French), 4th edition, with additions and corrections of Jacques André, Paris: Klincksieck, published 2001, pages 380-81

[7] Pokorny, Julius (1959) “mēlo-, smēlo-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 724

[8] Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “մեղմեխ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 301b

[EDPC-9] 9.0 ^9.1 Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page mello- of 263-264

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