bhel-

I. bhel-¹

To shine, flash, burn; shining white and various bright colors.

Derivatives include blue, bleach, blind, blond, blanket, black, flagrant, and flame.

I. Suffixed full-grade form *bhel-o-.

1.

a. beluga, from Russian belyĭ, white;

b. Beltane, from Scottish Gaelic bealltainn, from Old Irish beltaine, “fire of Bel” (ten, tene, fire; see tep-), from Bel, name of a pagan Irish deity akin to the Gaulish divine name Belenos, from Celtic *bel-o-.

2. phalarope, from Greek phalaros, having a white spot.

II. Extended root *bhleə₁-, contracted to *bhlē-.

1. Suffixed form *bhlē-wo-. blue, from Old French bleu, blue, from Germanic *blēwaz, blue.

2. Suffixed zero-grade form *bhl̥ə-wo-. flavescent, flavo-; flavin, flavone, flavoprotein, from Latin flāvus, golden or reddish yellow.

III. Various extended Germanic forms.

1. bleach, from Old English blǣcan, to bleach, from Germanic *blaikjan, to make white.

2. bleak¹, from Old Norse bleikr, shining, white, from Germanic *blaikaz, shining, white.

3. blitzkrieg, from Old High German blëcchazzen, to flash, lighten, from Germanic *blikkatjan.

4.

a. blaze¹, from Old English blæse, torch, bright fire;

b. blesbok, from Middle Dutch bles, white spot;

c. blemish, from Old French ble(s)mir, to make pale. a-c all from Germanic *blas-, shining, white.

5.

a. blind; blindfold, purblind, from Old English blind, blind;

b. blende, from Old High German blentan, to blind, deceive;

c. blend, from Old Norse blanda, to mix;

d. blond, from Old French blond, blond. a-d all from Germanic *blendaz, clouded, and *bland-, *bland-ja-, to mix, mingle (< “make cloudy”).

6.

a. blench¹, from Old English blencan, to deceive;

b. blanch, blank, blanket; blancmange, from Old French blanc, white. Both a and b from Germanic *blenk-, *blank-, to shine, dazzle, blind.

7. blush, from Old English blyscan, to glow red, from Germanic *blisk-, to shine, burn.

IV. Extended root *bhleg-, to shine, flash, burn.

1. O-grade form bhlog-. black, from Old English blæc, black, from Germanic *blakaz, burned.

2. Zero-grade form *bhl̥g-.

a. fulgent, fulgurate; effulgent, foudroyant, refulgent, from Latin fulgēre, to flash, shine, and fulgur, lightning;

b. fulminate, from Latin fulmen (< *fulg-men), lightning, thunderbolt.

3.

a. flagrant; conflagrant, conflagration, deflagrate, from Latin flagrāre, to blaze;

b. chamise, flambé, flambeau, flamboyant, flame, flamingo, flammable; inflame, from Latin flamma (< *flag-ma), a flame.

4. phlegm, phlegmatic, Phlegethon, from Greek phlegein, to burn.

5. O-grade form *bhlog-. phlogiston, phlox; phlogopite, from Greek phlox, a flame, also a wallflower.

 

[Pokorny 1. bhel- 118, bheleg- 124, bhleu-(k)- 159.]

  II. bhel-²

To blow, swell; with derivatives referring to various round objects and to the notion of tumescent masculinity.

Derivatives include boulevard, boulder, phallus, balloon, ballot, and fool.

1. Zero-grade form bhl̥-.

a. bowl¹, from Old English bolla, pot, bowl;

b. bole, from Old Norse bolr, tree trunk;

c. bulk, from Old Norse bulki, cargo (< “rolled-up load”);

d. rocambole, from Old High German bolla, ball;

e. boulevard, bulwark, from Middle High German bole, beam, plank;

f. boll, from Middle Dutch bolle, round object;

g. biltong, from Middle Dutch bille, buttock;

h. boulder, from a Scandinavian source akin to Swedish bullersten, “rounded stone,” boulder, from *buller-, “round object.” a-h all from Germanic *bul-.

2. Suffixed zero-grade form *bhl̥-n-.

a. bull¹, from Old Norse boli, bull, from Germanic *bullōn-;

b. bullock, from Old English bulluc, bull, from Germanic *bulluka-;

c. phallus; ithyphallic, from Greek phallos, phallus;

d. possibly Latin fullō, a fuller: full².

3. O-grade form *bhol-.

a. bollix, from Old English beallucas, testicles;

b. ball¹, from Old English *beall, ball;

c. bilberry, probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Danish bolle, round roll;

d. balloon, ballot, ballottement, from Italian dialectal balla, ball;

e. pall-mall, from Italian palla, ball;

f. bale¹, from Old French bale, rolled-up bundle. a-f all from Germanic *ball-.

4. Possibly suffixed o-grade form *bhol-to-.

a. bold, from Old English bald, beald, bold;

b. bawd, from Old Saxon bald, bold;

c. Balder, from Old Norse ballr, baldr, brave. a-c from Germanic *balthaz, bold.

5. Suffixed o-grade form *bhol-n-. fils², follicle, folly, fool, from Latin follis, bellows, inflated ball.

6. Possibly Greek phal(l)aina, whale: baleen.

7. Conceivably from this root (but more likely unrelated) is Greek phellos, cork, cork oak: phellem; phelloderm, phellogen.

 

[Pokorny 3. bhel- 120.] The following derivatives of this root are entered separately: bhel-³, bhelgh-, bhleu-.

  III. bhel-³

To thrive, bloom. Possibly from bhel-².

Derivatives include foliage, blossom, flora, bleed, bless, and blade.

I. Suffixed o-grade form *bhol-yo-, leaf.

1. foil², foliage, folio, folium; cinquefoil, defoliate, exfoliate, feuilleton, milfoil, perfoliate, portfolio, trefoil, from Latin folium, leaf.

2. -phyll, phyllo-, -phyllous; chervil, gillyflower, podophyllin, from Greek phullon, leaf.

II. Extended form *bhlē- (< *bhleə-).

1. O-grade form *bhlō-.

a. Suffixed form *bhlō-w-. blow³, from Old English blōwan, to flower, from Germanic *blō-w-;

b.

(i) bloom¹, from Old Norse blōm, blōmi, flower, blossom;

(ii) bloom², from Old English blōma, a hammered ingot of iron (semantic development obscure). Both (i) and (ii) from Germanic suffixed form *blō-mōn-;

c. blossom, from Old English blōstm, blōstma, flower, blossom, from Germanic suffixed form *blō-s-;

d. ferret², flora, Flora, floral, floret, floriated, florid, florin, florist, -florous, flour, flourish, flower; cauliflower, deflower, effloresce, enfleurage, florigen, millefleur, from Latin flōs (stem flōr-), flower, from Italic suffixed form *flō-s-;

e. suffixed form *bhlō-to-, possibly in the meaning “swell, gush, spurt” in Germanic *blōdam, blood.

(i) blood, from Old English blōd, blood;

(ii) bleed, from Old English *blēdan, to bleed, from Germanic denominative *blōdjan;

(iii) bless, from Old English bloedsian, blētsian, to consecrate, from Germanic *blōdisōn, to treat or hallow with blood.

2. emblements, from Medieval Latin blādum, bladium, produce of the land, grain, from Germanic suffixed form *blē-da-.

3. Suffixed zero-grade form *bhlə-to-. blade, from Old English blæd, leaf, blade, from Germanic *bladaz.

 

[Pokorny 4. bhel- 122.]

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