Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/yekkos
Proto-Celtic
Etymology
Etymology and reconstruction are difficult, not only due to the geminate -kk-, but also due to the inconsistent vowel between Old Irish ícc and the other Celtic words. All etymologies struggle with at least one of these two problems. A small catalogue of etymologies include:[1]
- Attempting to relate to Ancient Greek ἄκος (ákos, “cure, medicine”) and Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀐𐀴𐀪𐀊𐀂 (a-ke-ti-ri-ja-i), 𐀊𐀐𐀳𐀩 (ja-ke-te-re, “healers”) is possible but phonologically difficult.
- Schrijver offers an alternative in setting up *yet-kos, from *yet- (“to position oneself”).[2]
- Stifter offers the possibility of derivation from *yek- (“to say”), with the necessary assumption of cures and good health being perceived as being delivered by magical words of power.
Adjective
*yekkos
Inflection
| O/ā-stem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *yakkos | *yakkou | *yakkoi |
| vocative | *yakke | *yakkou | *yakkoi |
| accusative | *yakkom | *yakkou | *yakkons |
| genitive | *yakkī | *yakkous | *yakkom |
| dative | *yakkūi | *yakkobom | *yakkobos |
| instrumental | *yakkū | *yakkobim | *yakkobis |
| feminine | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *yakkā | *yakkai | *yakkās |
| vocative | *yakkā | *yakkai | *yakkās |
| accusative | *yakkam | *yakkai | *yakkans |
| genitive | *yakkās | *yakkous | *yakkom |
| dative | *yakkai | *yakkābom | *yakkābos |
| instrumental | *? | *yakkābim | *yakkābis |
| neuter | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *yakkom | *yakkou | *yakkā |
| vocative | *yakkom | *yakkou | *yakkā |
| accusative | *yakkom | *yakkou | *yakkā |
| genitive | *yakkī | *yakkous | *yakkom |
| dative | *yakkūi | *yakkobom | *yakkobos |
| instrumental | *yakkū | *yakkobim | *yakkobis |
| Declension of the comparative | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *yakkyūs | *? | *yakkyoses |
| vocative | *yakkyūs | *? | *yakkyoses |
| accusative | *yakkyosam | *? | *yakkyosans |
| genitive | *yakkisos | *? | *yakkisom |
| dative | *yakkisei | *? | *yakkisbos |
| instrumental | *yakkisī | *? | *yakkisbis |
| feminine | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *yakkyūs | *? | *yakkyoses |
| vocative | *yakkyūs | *? | *yakkyoses |
| accusative | *yakkyosam | *? | *yakkyosans |
| genitive | *yakkisos | *? | *yakkisom |
| dative | *yakkisei | *? | *yakkisbos |
| instrumental | *yakkisī | *? | *yakkisbis |
| neuter | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *yakkis | *? | *? |
| vocative | *yakkis | *? | *? |
| accusative | *yakkis | *? | *? |
| genitive | *yakkisos | *? | *yakkisom |
| dative | *yakkisei | *? | *yakkisbos |
| instrumental | *yakkisī | *? | *yakkisbis |
Alternative reconstructions
- *yakkos[3]
Related terms
Descendants
- Proto-Brythonic: *jax
- Gaulish: *iaccos
- → Latin: Iaccus
References
- ^ Stifter, David (2023) “The rise of gemination in Celtic”, in Open Research Europe[1], volume 3, number 24, , page 35
- ^ Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1995) Studies in British Celtic historical phonology (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 5), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, pages 103-104
- ^ Zair, Nicholas (2012) The reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Celtic, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 68
- ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*īkkā, *yekkā”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 171