*H₁n̥gʷnis Explained
| Type: | Indo-European |
| Hinduism Equivalent: | Agni |
| Equivalent1: | En |
| Equivalent1 Type: | Albanian |
| Equivalent2: | Ungnis |
| Equivalent2 Type: | Baltic |
Name
The archaic Proto-Indo-European language (ca. 4500–4000 BC) had a two-gender system which originally divided words between animate and inanimate, a system used to distinguish a common term from its deified synonym. Therefore, fire as an animate entity and active force was known as *h₁n̥gʷnis, while the inanimate entity and natural substance was named *péh₂ur (cf. Greek, Modern (1453-);: πυρ, pyr; English: fire).
In some traditions, as the sacral name of the dangerous fire may have become a word taboo, the stem *h₁n̥gʷnis served as an ordinary term for fire, as in the Latin Latin: ignis.
Evidence
- PIE: *h₁n̥gʷnis, the fire as an active force,
- Indo-Iranian: Hagni-,[1]
- Vedic: Agni (अग्नि), a fire deity,
- Young Avestan: Dāšt-āɣni,[1]
- Balto-Slavic: *ungnis,
- Lithuanian: Ugnis szwenta, 'Holy Fire',
- Latvian: Uguns [[Mahte|māte]], 'Mother of Fire',
- Proto-Albanian: *agni-,
- Albanian: [[En (deity)|enjte]], 'Thursday'.
See also
Bibliography
- Book: Derksen, Rick. Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon. Rick Derksen. 2008. Brill. 9789004155046.
- Book: Mallory . James P. . The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World . 2006. Oxford, UK . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-929668-2 . Adams . Douglas Q..
- Book: Orel, Vladimir. Vladimir Orel. Albanian etymological dictionary. 1998. Brill. 978-90-04-11024-3.
- Book: West . Martin Litchfield . Martin Litchfield West . Indo-European Poetry and Myth . 2007 . Oxford University Press . Oxford, UK . 978-0-19-928075-9.
Notes and References
- , s.v. agni-.
