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1. Word Family - Autism

   Introduction

   Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew: "away from, since, again" cannot be formally tied to *h₂epó: "off, away", but the similarity is suggestive. Perhaps Pre-Proto-Indo-European *b became either *p (by fortition) or *w (by lenition) in almost all cases, accounting for the paucity of *b in PIE.

   In any case, the later (re …

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2. Word Family - Five

   Introduction

   I've been doing Word Families for 5 years! In that time, I have made 150 families! So this week is *pénkʷe: "five".

   The *p-kʷ sequence in *pénkʷe leads to a set highly divergent forms. *kʷ is a highly variable sound on its own, becoming /kw/, /w/, /ʍ/, /k/, /t …

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3. Word Family - Canine

   June theme: Domestic Animals 🐕

   Introduction

   I get a little speculative here, if not downright provocative. There are words for dog all over Eurasia that recall each other. These could be onomatopoeic, but they do not much resemble the common forms you find in words that actually used as dog sound …

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4. Word Family - Bleak

   January theme: 98 … 99 … 100! 💯

   Teaser

   bleach, blank, black, blue, beluga, flame, Baltic, pool

   Full Text

   • Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- to shine

     • Proto-Indo-European *bʰoltós

       • Balto-Slavic

         • Baltic

           • East Baltic

             • Lithuanian báltas white
           • Latin Balthae

             • Medieval Latin Balticus

               • English Baltic
       • Illyrian *balta swamp

         • Albanian baltë mud
         • Balto-Slavic *balta

           • Latin Balthae

             • Medieval Latin Balticus

               • English …

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5. Word Family - Easter

   Introduction

   The root *h₂ews-: "sunrise" may be connected to *h₂ew-: "away from, since, again" and *h₂ewg-: "to increase, to enlarge", compare for example *h₂éwgeh₂: "sunrise, dawn" (literally, "the increase") from *h₂ewg-.

   Teaser

   Eärendil, Easter, air, soar, east, Austria, Australia, early

   Full Text

   • Pre-Proto-Indo-European *qʷ:eb-??

     • Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew away from, since …

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