Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/wete

This Proto-Uralic 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-Uralic

Alternative reconstructions

*witi^[1]

Etymology

Possibly connected with Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ (“water”) and *wed- in some way. Variants of the Nostratic and Indo-Uralic theories (neither of which is widely accepted) propose common descent, while Koivulehto has proposed that the Uralic term is a borrowing from Indo-European, replacing Proto-Uralic *śäčä everywhere but in some of the northern fringes of the family (most prominently Proto-Samic *čācē).^[2] Aikio however reconstructs the original meaning of *śäčä as "flood",^[3] making this less likely. EVE makes no mention of an Indo-European connection for the Uralic word.^[4]

Noun

*wete

water

Descendants

Proto-Samoyedic: *wet (see there for further descendants)
Ugric:
- Hungarian: víz
- Proto-Mansi:
  - Northern Mansi: вит (vit)
  - Eastern Mansi: вить (vitʹ)
Proto-Permic: *vå (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Mari: *wü̆t (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Mordvinic: *veď (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Samic: *vëcë (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Finnic: *veci (see there for further descendants)

References

^ Daniel, Abondolo (1998) “Chapter I: Introduction”, in Abondolo, Daniel, editor, The Uralic languages (Routledge language family descriptions), Oxon, New York: Routledge, →ISBN, page 11
^ Koivulehto, Jorma. 2002. "The earliest contacts between Indo-European and Uralic speakers in light of lexical loans". In: Carpela, Christian; Parpola, Asko; Koskikallio, Petteri (eds.), Early Contacts between Uralic and Indo-European, pp. 235–263. Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 242. Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura.
^ Aikio, Ante. 2016. "The Finnic 'secondary e-stems' and Proto-Uralic vocalism". Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja 95, pp. 25–66.
^ Junttila, Santeri, Kallio, Petri, Holopainen, Sampsa, Kuokkala, Juha, Pystynen, Juho, editors (2020–), “vesi”, in Suomen vanhimman sanaston etymologinen verkkosanakirja‎^[1] (in Finnish), retrieved 2022-11-29