Introduction

In each Hellenic, Indo-Iranian, and Italic the word for "thousand" is derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰéslo-—apparently "handful"?—but in different forms.

Greek χίλιοι khílioi (kilo-) seems to derive from *ǵʰesliyoy, possibly a plural adjective form?

In Indo-Iranian it's prefixed with *sem- as *sm̥-ǵʰéslom, which could be translated as "one handful", but I think perhaps better rendered here as "a whole handful". This becomes forms like Sanskrit sahásram and Persian hazāra.

Italic also uses the *sm̥-, but makes the whole thing feminine-collective as *smih₂-ǵʰéslih₂, whence Latin mille (milli-).

Teaser

surgery, garter, milli-, kilo-, millennial, chrono-, yard, Midgard

Full Text

• Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰes- hand, take

  • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰésōr hand primary noun, gen. and abl. *ǵʰsrés

    • Anatolian *ǵésōr

      • Hittite 𒆠𒌍𒊬 késːar ke-eš-šar hand
      • Luwic

        • Luwian

          • Cuneiform Luwian 𒄿𒅖𒊭𒊑𒅖 īssaris i-iš-ša-ri-iš hand
        • Lycian 𐊆𐊈𐊕𐊁𐊅𐊆 izredi by hand
    • Old Armenian ձեռն jeṙn hand, first, arm, strength, force

      • Armenian ձեռք jeṙkʻ hand, arm
      • Old Armenian *jeṙnuk diminutive
      • Arabic زرنوك zarnūk handle
    • Hellenic *kʰéhər

      • Classical Greek χείρ kheír hand

        • Translingual Chiroptera taxonomic order of bats
        • Koine Greek χέριον khérion diminutive

          • Greek χέρι chéri hand, arm, handle
        • Classical Greek ἑκατόγχειρος hekatónkheiros hundred-handed

          • Classical Greek ἑκατὸν μὲν χεῖρες hekatòn mèn kheîres

            • English Hecatoncheires
        • Classical Greek χειρουργός kheirourgós craftsman, surgeon "hand-worker"

          • Latin chīrūrgus surgeon
          • Classical Greek χειρουργία kheirourgíā handiwork, handicraft, surgery

            • Latin chīrūrgia surgery

              • Western Romance

                • Old French surgie

                  • English surgery
              • Latin *chīrurgiānus

                • Western Romance

                  • Old French surgien

                    • English surgeon
                  • Old French cirurgiien

                    • French chirurgien
                    • Dutch chirurgijn
                    • English chirurgeon
        • English chiro-
      • Hellenic *kʰéhr-nikʷs hand-wash

        • Mycenaean Greek 𐀐𐀛𐀣 ke-ni-qa
        • Classical Greek χέρνιψ khérnips water for handwashing

          • Classical Greek χέρνιβον khérnibon wash basin

            • Arabic كرنيب kirnīb wash basin, bath, dipper
    • Italic *hezor

      • Latin hir hand
    • Tocharian *ṣar hand

      • Arshian tsar hand
      • Kushean ṣar hand
    • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰēsreh₂

      • Pre-Albanian *dāsrā

        • Albanian dorë hand
    • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰr̥sós

      • Celtic *garros leg, calf

        • Brythonic *garr

          • Breton gar leg
          • Cornish garr leg
          • Welsh gar leg
        • Old Irish gairr calf
        • Gaulish *garrā

          • Western Romance *garra leg, calf

            • Old French gare

              • Old French garet diminutive

                • Middle French jarret

                  • French jarret back of the knee, leg joint of meat
                • Old French gareter garter

                  • Middle French jarretier garter

                    • French jarretière garter
                  • Middle English garter garter

                    • English garter
  • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰéslom numerous, thousand, handful?

    • Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-ǵʰéslom

      • Indo-Iranian *saȷ́ʰásram thousand

        • Indo-Aryan *saźʰásram thousand

          • Sanskrit सहस्रम् sahásram thousand

            • Prakrit sahasra śahaśśa sahasira sahassa

              • Prakrit sāsira

                • Kannada ಸಾವಿರ sāvira thousand
                • Old Tamil

                  • Tamil ஆயிரம் āyiram thousand
                  • Malayalam ആയിരം āyiraṁ thousand
              • Elu *sahasa

                • Dhivehi ހާސް hās thousand
              • Sauraseni

                • Northwestern Sauraseni

                  • Kashmiri ساس sās thousand
            • Hindi सहस्र sahasra thousand
            • Telugu సహస్రము sahasramu thousand
        • Iranian *hajáhram thousand

          • Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀 hazaŋra thousand
          • Bactrian υαζαρο uazaro thousand
          • Pashto زر zër thousand
          • Western Iranian *hazáram

            • Western Iranian *hazára-pátiš thousand-commander

              • Northwestern Iranian

                • Medean *hazārapatiš commander of a thousand ^[1]

                  • Old Persian *hazārapatiš

                    • Middle Persian 𐭧𐭦𐭠𐭫𐭥𐭯𐭲 ḥzārāpt

                      • Persian هزاربد hezârbod
                    • Classical Greek ἀζαραπατεῖς azarapateîs
                    • Classical Greek ἀζαβαρίτης azabarítēs
                    • Classical Greek χιλίαρχος khilíarkhos commander of a thousand, tribune, chiliarch ^[1]

                      • Gothic 𐌸𐌿𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌸𐍃 þūsundifaþs commander of a thousand, tribune ^[1]
                      • Latin chiliarchus
                      • Classical Syriac ܟܝܠܝܪܟܐ kilirka
                • Parthian 𐭇𐭆𐭓𐭅𐭐𐭕 hazārpet

                  • Old Armenian հազարապետ hazarapet chiliarch

                    • Armenian հազարապետ hazarapet chiliarch
                    • Georgian ჰაზარაპეტი hazaraṗeṭi
            • Northwestern Iranian

              • Medean *hazāram
              • Kurdish hezar thousand
              • Parthian 𐭀𐭋𐭐𐭉𐭍 𐭇𐭆𐭀𐭓 hzār ālpin thousand ālpin as an Aramaeogram

                • Middle Persian 𐫍𐫉𐫀𐫡 hzār thousand

                  • Persian هزار hazâr thousand

                    • Persian هزاردستان hezâr-dastân nightingale lit. "thousand songs"
                    • Hindustani

                      • Hindi हज़ार hazār thousand
                      • Urdu ہزار hazār thousand
            • Old Persian *hadāram thousand

              • Elamite 𒄩𒆪𒊏 ha-da-ra
      • Proto-Indo-European *smih₂-ǵʰéslih₂

        • Italic *smīɣeslī

          • Latin mille thousand

            • Latin mīllennis thousand-years

              • Latin mīllennium millennium

                • English millennium

                  • Japanese ミレニアム mireniamu millennium
                  • English millennial
                • Italian millennio millennium
                • Spanish milenio millennium
            • Latin mīlle mīlle passūs a thousand paces, a mile

              • Central Romance

                • Italian miglio mile
              • Western Romance

                • French mille mile
              • Byzantine Greek μίλιον mílion Roman mile

                • Greek μίλι míli mile
              • West Germanic *mīliju a mile

                • Old English mīl mile

                  • Middle English myle mile

                    • English mile

                      • English milestone
                • Frankish *mīla

                  • Dutch mijl mile
                • Old High German mīla mile

                  • Middle High German mīle

                    • German Meile mile
                    • Yiddish מײַל mayl mile
                    • Polish mila mile
            • Central Romance

              • Dalmatian mel thousand
              • Italian mille thousand

                • Italian milione million augmentive

                  • Middle French million million

                    • French million million
                    • English million
                    • Middle French -illion back-formed

                      • Middle French billion billion (long-scale, 10^12)

                        • French billion billion (long-scale, 10^12)
                        • English billion
                      • Middle French trillion billion (long-scale, 10^18)

                        • French trillion trillion (long-scale, 10^18)
                        • English trillion
            • Eastern Romance

              • Aromanian njilje thousand
              • Romanian mie thousand
              • Albanian mijë thousand
            • Western Romance

              • Old French mile thousand

                • Middle French mille thousand

                  • French mille thousand
              • Spanish mil thousand

                • Navajo mííl thousand
            • Basque mila thousand
            • Brythonic *mil thousand

              • Breton mil thousand
              • Cornish mil thousand
              • Welsh mil thousand
            • Old Irish míle thousand

              • Middle Irish

                • Irish míle thousand
                • Scottish Gaelic mìle thousand
            • French milli-

              • English milli-
    • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰesliyoy plural adjective form?

      • Hellenic *kʰehliyoi

        • Classical Greek χίλιοι khílioi

          • Classical Greek χιλίαρχος khilíarkhos commander of a thousand, tribune, chiliarch ^[1]

            • Gothic 𐌸𐌿𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌸𐍃 þūsundifaþs commander of a thousand, tribune ^[1]
            • Latin chiliarchus
            • Classical Syriac ܟܝܠܝܪܟܐ kilirka
          • French kilo-

            • English kilo-
  • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰóstos

    • Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰástas

      • Indo-Aryan *źʰástas

        • Sanskrit हस्तः hástaḥ 𑀳𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀂 hand, elephant trunk, cubit

          • Elu

            • Dhivehi އަތް at̊ hand, palm, side, direction
            • Sinhala අත ata hand, side, direction
          • Pali 𑀳𑀢𑁆𑀣 hattha hand

            • Khmer ហត្ថ hat hand, arm, elephant trunk, lock of hair, cubit
          • Sauraseni

            • Hindustani

              • Hindi हाथ hāth hand
              • Urdu ہَاتھ hāth hand
            • Northwestern Sauraseni

              • Punjabi ਹੱਥ hatthă hand, forearm, cubit
              • Kashmiri اَتھٕ athụ hand
            • Western Sauraseni

              • Gujarati હાથ hāth hand
              • Romani vast hand
          • Malay hasta cubit
          • Malayalam ഹസ്തം hastaṁ hand
          • Telugu హస్తము hastamu hand, forearm, elephant trunk, cubit
          • Sanskrit हस्ती hastī́ 𑀳𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀻 elephant

            • Sanskrit hastināpuraḥ हस्तिनापुरः place name: City of Elephants, Hastinapura

              • Hindustani

                • Hindi हस्तिनापुर hastināpur
                • English Hastinapur
            • Prakrit 𑀳𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀺 hatthi

              • Elu

                • Dhivehi އެތް et̊ elephant, palm flower
                • Sinhala ඇත් æt
              • Magadhi

                • Bengali-Assamese

                  • Assamese হাতী hati elephant
                  • Bengali হাতি hati elephant, bishop (chess)
                • Sylheti ꠀꠔ꠆ꠔꠤ atti
                • Rohingya háñti
              • Sauraseni

                • Hindustani

                  • Hindi हाथी hāthī elephant, rook (chess)
                  • Urdu ہاتھی hāthī elephant
                  • English hathi
                • Northwestern Sauraseni

                  • Punjabi ਹਾਥੀ hāthī elephant, rook (chess)
      • Iranian *jástah

        • Avestan 𐬰𐬀𐬯𐬙𐬀 zasta hand
      • Indo-Iranian *dʰástas probably dissimilation, or by association with *dáwš: "arm"

        • Iranian *dástah

          • Bactrian λιστο listo hand
          • Pashto لاس lâs hand
          • Western Iranian

            • Northwestern Iranian

              • Kurdish dest hand, start
            • Old Persian 𐎭𐎿𐎫 d-s-t hand

              • Middle Persian 𐭩𐭣𐭤 YDE hand Aramaeogram

                • Persian دست dast hand, arm Aramaeogram

                  • Hindustani

                    • Hindi दस्त dast hand, cubit
                    • Urdu دست dast hand, cubit
        • Nuristani *dásta hand

          • Ashkun dóst
          • Kamviri dǘšt hand
    • Italic *hostos

      • Latin hostus yield of an olive tree
    • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰostiyos

      • Balto-Slavic *źastijas arm?

        • Balto-Slavic *pa-źastijas under arm? with *pa-: "under"

          • East Baltic

            • Lithuanian pažastìs armpit
          • Slavic

            • West Slavic

              • Czech paže arm

                • Czech podpaží armpit re-preffixed with pod- : "under", probably cognate to the previous *pa- prefix
      • Italic

        • Latin hostia sacrifice, offering, victim, host (consecrated bread)

          • Western Romance

            • Old French oiste

              • English host
  • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- to enclose horticulture, court

    • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰronos

      • Hellenic *kʰrónos

        • Classical Greek χρόνος khrónos time, a period of time, a lifetime, a delay

          • Greek χρόνος chrónos time, year, tense
          • Coptic ⲭⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ khronos time, a period of time, a lifetime, age, duration
          • English chrono-
          • Classical Greek Χρόνος Khrónos personification of time

            • English Chronos
    • Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ- to enclose, to encircle, enclosure, belt

      • Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰeti

        • Germanic *gerdaną

          • East Germanic

            • Gothic *gairdan

              • Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰𐌽 bigairdan to gird
              • Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰𐌽 ufgairdan to gird
      • Proto-Indo-European *gʰr̥dʰyeti

        • Germanic *gurdijaną

          • North Germanic

            • Old Norse gyrða to gird, to girth
          • West Germanic *gurdijan

            • Old English gyrdan to gird

              • Middle English gurden

                • English gird
          • Germanic *gurdilaz girdle

            • North Germanic

              • Old Norse gyrðill

                • Icelandic gyrðill
            • West Germanic *gurdil

              • Old English gyrdel

                • English girdle
              • Frankish *gurdel

                • Dutch gordel
              • Old High German gurtil girtle, girth, band

                • German Gürtel belt, strip
                • Yiddish גאַרטל gartl belt
      • Proto-Indo-European *gʰórdʰos

        • Germanic *gardaz enclosure, court, yard, garden

          • Germanic *midjagardaz the middle enclosure, the world, Midgard

            • East Germanic

              • Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 midjungards the inhabited world, ecumene
            • North Germanic

              • Old Norse Miðgarðr the Earth, Midgard, the inhabited world

                • Danish Midgård
                • Icelandic Miðgarður

                  • English Midgard
            • West Germanic

              • Old English Middanġeard the world, the inhabited world

                • Old English Middaneard the world, the inhabited world

                  • English Middle Earth
          • Germanic *urtgardaz garden, orchard

            • East Germanic

              • Gothic 𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 aurtigards orchard, garden
              • Old Church Slavonic врътоградъ vrŭtogradŭ herb garden, kitchen garden
            • North Germanic

              • Old Norse *urtgarðr

                • Swedish örtagård herb garden
            • West Germanic *ortgard

              • Old English ortġeard

                • English orchard
          • East Germanic

            • Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 gards yard, court, house, household, family

              • Gothic 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌹 þiudangardi kingdom lit. "~household of a people"
          • North Germanic

            • Old Norse garðr

              • Danish gård

                • Danish Kierkegaard surname: Church-Yard pre-1948 orthography retained in proper nouns
              • Icelandic garður
              • Middle Irish garrda
              • Middle Welsh garð
            • Samic *kārtē fenced enclosure, corral

              • Northern Sámi gárdi
              • Old Norse Útgarðar
          • West Germanic *gard

            • Old English ġeard

              • English yard
            • Frankish *gard

              • Dutch gaard
              • Old French gart garden
            • Old High German gart enclosure, plot of land, circle
          • Germanic *gardan- *gardô

            • West Germanic *gardō

              • Frankish *gardo

                • Dutch gaard
                • Old French gardin garden

                  • French jardin

                    • Italian giardino
                  • English garden
                  • Spanish jardín
              • Old High German garto garden, paradise

                • German
      • Proto-Indo-European *gʰordʰéh₂

        • Germanic *gerdō

          • East Germanic

            • Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰 gairda girdle, purse
          • North Germanic

            • Old Norse gjǫrð belt, girdle, saddle girth

              • Danish gjord
              • Icelandic gjörð
              • Middle English gerth girth, barrel hoop

                • English girth
            • Samic

              • Northern Sámi gierdu
    • Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- intestines, bowels, gut (as a material)

Visual

Collected English words

Middle Earth, Midgard, Chiroptera, orchard, milestone, surgery, surgeon, chirurgeon, chiro-, garter, million, billion, trillion, mile, millennium, millennial, milli-, kilo-, hathi, Hastinapur, host, chrono-, Chronos, gird, girdle, yard, garden, girth, Hecatoncheires

Footnotes

1. ^

   the Old Medean military title *hazārapatiš: "commander of a thousand" was both borrowed into Greek as ἀζαραπατεῖς azarapateîs/ἀζαβαρίτης azabarítēs and also calqued as χιλίαρχος khilíarkhos. Though the Greeks probably couldn't have known it, their word for a "thousand" that they used in the calque—χίλιοι—is a cognate to the Medean word *hazāram!

   And then! Gothic calqued the Greek χιλίαρχος khilíarkhos as 𐌸𐌿𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌸𐍃 þūsundifaþs, with a completely different word for "thousand"… but returning to a cognate of the Medean word for commander: faþs/patiš!