Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wéy

This Proto-Indo-European 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-Indo-European

Pronoun

*wéy

1. we (more than two)

Inflection

Andrew Sihler's reconstruction
nominative	*we-i
accusative	*n̥smé ~ *nō̆s
genitive	*n̥sóm ~ *nō̆s
ablative	*n̥sm-ét
dative	*n̥sm-éy ~ *nō̆s
Oblique plural *n̥s- possibly continues earlier **m̥s- (same element of singular oblique stem with plural -s). This n was made common to the whole paradigm, with even enclitic *nos for *mos, but the verb endings *-me(dʰh₂), *-mos(dʰh₂) were not disturbed.

Donald Ringe's reconstruction
nominative	*wéy
accusative	*n̥smé ~ *nos
genitive	? ~ *nos
dative	? ~ *nos

Alwin Kloekhorst's reconstruction
Proto-Nuclear-Indo-European
nominative	*wey
accusative	*n̥s ~ *nōs (?)
genitive	?
dative	?
oblique	*n̥s- ~ *nos
Outer-Anatolian IE
nominative	*wey
oblique	*n̥s-
enclitic	*nos
Proto-Indo-European
nominative	?
accusative	?
oblique	?

Robert Beekes' reconstruction
nominative	*wey
accusative	*n̥smé ~ *nōs
genitive	*n̥s(er)o- ~ *nos
ablative	*n̥smed
dative	*n̥smey ~ *n̥s
locative	*n̥smi
instrumental	?
poss. adj.	*n̥sós

Frederik Kortlandt's reconstruction
nominative	*we-
accusative	*n̥sme
genitive	*nos
ablative	?
dative	?
locative	*n̥smi

Michiel de Vaan's reconstruction
nominative	*wey(s)
accusative	*nōs
genitive-locative	*nos/*nes
ablative	?
dative	?
poss. adj.	*ns-tero-s?

Derived terms

• *méy (Contamination with the first person plural verbal suffix and/or the 1st person singular object pronoun)
  • Proto-Balto-Slavic:
    • Latgalian: mes
    • Latvian: mēs
    • Lithuanian: mẽs
    • Old Prussian: mes
    • Proto-Slavic: *my (see there for further descendants)
  • Proto-Armenian:
    • Old Armenian: մեք (mekʻ)
      • Armenian: մենք (menkʻ)
• Unsorted formations:
  • Proto-Germanic: *wet, *wit (see there for further descendants)
  • Lithuanian: vedu
  • Proto-Slavic: *vě (see there for further descendants)

Descendants

• Proto-Anatolian: *wéyes (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *wīz (< *wéy-s) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *wayám (< *weyóm) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Tocharian: *wes
  • Tocharian A: was
  • Tocharian B: wes

Further reading

• Oshiro, Terumasa (1988) “Some Luwian words of Indo-European origin”, in Orient, volume 24, page 51: “(9) our (758)”