The following is a table of many of the most fundamental Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) words and roots, with their cognates in all of the major families of descendants.
Notes The following conventions are used: Cognates are in general given in the oldest well-documented language of each family, although forms in modern languages are given for families in which the older stages of the languages are poorly documented or do not differ significantly from the modern languages. In addition, modern English forms are given for comparison purposes. Nouns are given in their nominative case, with the genitive case supplied in parentheses when its stem differs from that of the nominative. (For some languages, especially Sanskrit, the basic stem is given in place of the nominative.) Verbs are given in their "dictionary form". The exact form given depends on the specific language: For the Germanic languages and for Welsh, the infinitive is given. For Latin, the Baltic languages, and the Slavic languages, the first-person singular present indicative is given, with the infinitive supplied in parentheses. For Greek, Old Irish, Armenian and Albanian (modern), only the first-person singular present indicative is given. For Sanskrit, Avestan, Old Persian, Parthian, the third-person singular present indicative is given. Where useful, Sanskrit root forms are provided using the symbol √. For Tocharian, the stem is given. For Hittite, either the third-person singular present indicative or the stem is given. In place of Latin, an Oscan or Umbrian cognate is occasionally given when no corresponding Latin cognate exists. Similarly, a cognate from another Anatolian language (e.g. Luvian, Lycian) may occasionally be given in place of or in addition to Hittite. For Tocharian, both the Tocharian A and Tocharian B cognates are given whenever possible. For the Celtic languages, both Old Irish and Welsh cognates are given when possible. For Welsh, normally the modern form is given, but occasionally the form from Old Welsh is supplied when it is known and displays important features lost in the modern form. A Middle Irish cognate is given when the Old Irish form is unknown, and Gaulish, Cornish and/or Breton (modern) cognates may occasionally be given in place of or in addition to Welsh. For the Baltic languages, Lithuanian (modern) and Old Prussian cognates are given when possible. (Both Lithuanian and Old Prussian are included because Lithuanian often includes information missing in Old Prussian, e.g. due to lack of written accent marks in the latter.) Similarly to the Celtic situation, Old Lithuanian forms may occasionally be given in place of modern Lithuanian; Latvian (modern) may occasionally be given in place of or in addition to Lithuanian. For the Slavic languages, Old Church Slavonic cognates are given when possible. Forms from modern Slavic languages or other Church Slavic dialects may occasionally be given in place of Old Church Slavonic. For English, a modern English cognate is given when it exists, along with the corresponding Old English form; otherwise, only an Old English form is given. For Gothic, a form in another Germanic language (Old Norse; Old High German; or Middle High German) is sometimes given in its place or in addition, when it reveals important features.
Kinship
{| class="wikitable sticky-header" style="font-size:95%;" ! width="10%"| PIE ! width="8%"| English ! width="8%"| Gothic ! width="8%"| Latin ! width="8%"| Ancient Greek ! width="8%"| Sanskrit ! width="7%"| Iranian ! width="8%"| Slavic ! width="8%"| Baltic ! width="7%"| Celtic ! width="7%"| Armenian ! width="7%"| Albanian ! width="7%"| Tocharian ! width="7%"| Hittite |- | "mother"Dnghu, pp. 1993-1994.Pokorny, pp. 700-701. | mother (< OE mōdor) | mōdar "mother" | māter "mother" ⇒ | mḗtēr "mother" ⇒ | mā́tṛ, mātar, mātā "mother" | Av mātar- "mother"; NPers mādar "mother" | OCS mati, mater- "mother" | Lith móteris "woman", motina "mother"; OPrus muti "mother" | Gaul. mātīr "mother", OIr máthir "mother"; W modryb "auntie" | mayr "mother" | motër "sister" | A mācar, B mācer "mother"
| "father" Dnghu, p. 2394.Pokorny, p. 829.Mallory & Adams (2006), p. 210. | father (< OE fæder) | fadar "father" | pater "father" ⇒
| patḗr "father" (> patriarch) | pitṛ, pitar, pitā "father"; Pitrs "spirits of the ancestors" (litt. "the fathers") | Av pitar- (nom. also pta, ta), OPers pita "father", NPers pedar/padar
| OIr athair "father"; Welsh edrydd "paternal domain" | hayr "father" | | A pācar, B pācer "father"
| "parent"
|genitor "parent" ⇒
|genétōr "ancestor" |janitṛ "progenitor" |Av ząθar "progenitor, the Creator"
| "brother"Dnghu, pp. 485-486.Pokorny, pp. 163-164.Mallory & Adams (2006), p. 214. | brother (< OE brōþor) | brōþar "brother" | frāter "brother" ⇒ | pʰrā́tēr "member of a phratry (brotherhood)" (> phratry) | bʰrā́tṛ, bhrātar, bhrātā "brother"; Rom phral "brother" (> pal) | Av brātar-, OPers brātar-, NPers brādar-, Ossetian ärvád "brother, relative", NPers barādar, Kurd bira/birader | OCS bratrŭ "brother" | Lith brõlis, OPrus brati "brother" | Gaul Bratronos (pers. name); OIr bráthair, W brawd (pl. brodyr) "brother" | ełbayr (gen. ełbawr) "brother" | | A pracar, B procer "brother" |Lyd brafr(-sis) "brother"Campbell, George L. with King, Gareth. Compendium of the World's Languages. Routledge. 2013. p. 86. |- | "sister"Dnghu, p. 3027.Pokorny, p. 1051. | sister (< OE sweostor, influenced by ON systir) | swistar "sister" | soror "sister" ⇒ | éor "cousin's daughter" | svásṛ, svasar, swasā "sister" | Av x̌vaŋhar- "sister"; NPers ḫwāhar Kurd xwişk "sister" | OCS sestra "sister" | Lith sesuo, seser-, OPrus sestra "sister" | Gaul suiorebe "with two sisters" (dual) OIr siur, W chwaer "sister" | kʿuyr (kʿiṙ), nom.pl kʿur-kʿ "sister" | vashë, vajzë "girl" (< *varjë < *vëharë < PAlb *swesarā) | A ṣar, B ṣer "sister"
| "sibling, lit. same-father(ed)" | |ON samfeðra| |homopátōr| |OP hamapitar-|
|A ṣomapacar| |- | "daughter"Dnghu, pp. 757-758.Pokorny, p. 277.Mallory & Adams (2006), p. 213. | daughter (< OE dohtor) | daúhtar "daughter" | Oscan futír "daughter" | θugátēr "daughter"; Myc tu-ka-te "daughter"García, Carlos Varias. "De synonymia Mycenaea: términos griegos equivalentes de distintos reinos micénicos". In: Conuentus Classicorum: temas y formas del Mundo Clásico. Coord. por Jesús de la Villa, Emma Falque Rey, José Francisco González Castro, María José Muñoz Jiménez, Vol. 1, 2017. pp. 382-383. | dúhitṛ, duhitar, duhitā "daughter" | Av dugədar-, duɣδar-, NPers doḫtar "daughter" Kurd dot "daughter" | OCS dŭšti, dŭšter- "daughter" | Lith duktė, dukter-, OPrus dukti "daughter" | Gaulish duxtir "daughter"; Celtib TuaTer (duater) "daughter" | dustr "daughter" | | A ckācar, B tkācer "daughter" | HLuw túwatara "daughter"; ?Lyd datro "daughter"; CLuw/Hitt duttarii̯ata-; Lyc kbatra "daughter" |- | "son" (See also *sewh₁-) | son (< OE sunu) | sunus "son" | | huiós "son" | sūnú- "son" | Av hunuš "son" | OCS synŭ "son" | Lith sūnùs, OPrus suns "son" |? Celtib EBURSUNOS "son of Eburos (?)" ? Celt/Lus EQUEUNUBO (< *ekwei-sūnu-bʰos) "to the sons on the horse" | ustr "son" | çun "boy/son" | A se, B soyä "son"
| "son" Monier Williams, p. 632.Fortson, §13.7
|Osc puklo- "son" |paîs "son" |putrá- "son" |Av puθra "son" Kurd pis, put|
| "nephew, grandson" Dnghu, pp. 2188-2189.Pokorny, p. 764. | nephew; obsolete neve "nephew, male cousin, grandson" (< OE nefa) | OHG nevo "nephew" | nepōs (nepōtis) "grandson, nephew" ⇒ | népodes "descendants" | nápāt- "grandson, descendant" | Av napāt-, naptar-, OPers napāt-, NPers naveh-, "grandson, descendant"; Kurd nevî "grandchild" | OCS netii "nephew" | OLith nepotis, OPrus neputs "grandson" | OIr nïa "sister's son", W nai "nephew" | | nip "grandson, nephew"
| "granddaughter, niece" | niece; obsolete nift "niece" (< OE nift) | OHG nift "niece" | neptis "granddaughter" | | naptī́ "granddaughter"
| OIr necht "niece", W nith "niece"
| "husband's brother, brother-in-law" | OE tācor "husband's brother" | OHG zeihhor "husband's brother" | levir "husband's brother" | dāēr "husband's brother" | devṛ́, devará "husband's brother" | Past lewar "brother-in-law" | OCS děverĭ "brother-in-law" | Lith dieveris "husband's brother" | W daw(f) "brother-in-law" | taygr, tekʿr "husband's brother"
| "daughter-in-law" | OE snoru "daughter-in-law" | OHG snur "daughter-in-law" | nurus "daughter-in-law" | nuós "daughter-in-law" | snuṣā- "daughter-in-law" | Old Ir. *(s)nušáh Bactrian ασνωυο (asnōuo) NPers. sunoh / sunhār "daughter-in-law" | OCS snŭxa "daughter-in-law"
| nu "daughter-in-law" | nuse "bride" | B santse "daughter-in-law"
| "pledge, bind, secure, lead"Beekes, p. 38. |wed (< OE weddian "to pledge, wed")
|vadhū́ "bride" | |OCS voditi "to lead" | |W gwedd "yoke"
| "father-in-law" | OE swēor "father-in-law" | swaihra "father-in-law" | socer "father-in-law" | hekurós "father-in-law" | śváśura "father-in-law" | Av xᵛasura "father-in-law"; Kurdish xwesûr| OCS svekrŭ "father-in-law" | Lith šešuras "father-in-law" | | skesrayr "father-in-law" | vjehërr "father-in-law"
| "mother-in-law" | OE sweger "mother-in-law" | swaihro "mother-in-law" | socrus "mother-in-law" | hekurá "mother-in-law" | śvaśrū́- "mother-in-law" | Past xwāše "mother-in-law" Kurdish xwesû | OCS svekry "mother-in-law" | OPrus swasri "mother-in-law" | W chwegr "mother-in-law" | skesur "mother-in-law" | vjehrrë "mother-in-law"
| "maternal grandfather, maternal uncle" | | awō "grandmother" | avus "grandfather"; avunculus "maternal uncle" ⇒
| Rus uj, vuj "uncle" (obsolete); Ukr vuyko "maternal uncle" | Lith avynas "maternal uncle", OPrus awis "uncle" | W ewythr, MBre eontr, MCo eviter "maternal uncle" (< PCelt awon-tīr "uncle"); OIr aue "descendant, grandchild" | OArm haw "grandfather" | | B āwe "grandfather" | ḫuḫḫa-, Lyc χuga- "grandfather"; CLuw ḫu-u-ḫa-ti "grandfather" (abl.-ins.) |- | "twin; to hold"Dnghu, p. 1370Pokorny, p. 505 | |ON Ymir|geminus "twin";Remus "twin, Remus" | |yáma- "twin; first man to die" |Av Yema| | |OIr emon, Gaul Iemurioi "twin?"Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. p. 188. .
| "widow" < *h₁weydʰh₁- "to separate"Derksen, p. 346. |widow (< OE widwe) |widuwō "widow" |vidua "widow" |ēḯtheos "widow" |vidhávā "widow" |viδauua "widow" | OCS vŭdova "widow" | OP widdewū "widow" | OI fedb "widow"; W gweddw "widow, widower" | |vejë "widow"
People
PIE English Gothic Latin Ancient Greek Sanskrit Iranian Slavic Baltic Celtic Armenian Albanian Tocharian Hittite "human beings" man (< OE "Mann") manna "human beings"Amazon < *n̥-mn̥-g(w)-iōn 'man-less, without husband' (debatable)manuṣya "human being"Av manuš "human" NPers maneš "human habitude"OES/OCS mǫžĭ "man"mard "man" "person, human (litt. of the earth)"(See also *dʰeǵʰom-) Scots gome "person, man", OE brȳdguma "bridegroom"< *dʰǵʰm̥mṓ guma "man"