gʷelə-

Also gʷel-. To throw, reach, with further meaning to pierce. Oldest form *gʷelə₁-, with metathesized variant *gʷleə₁-, contracted to *gʷlē-.

Derivatives include devil, emblem, metabolism, parliament, problem, symbol, ballet, and kill¹.

I. Words denoting to throw, reach. Variant *gʷlē-, contracted from *gʷleə-.

1. Suffixed zero-grade form *gʷl̥-n-ə-.

a. ballista; amphibole, arbalest, astrobleme, bolide, devil, diabolical, embolism, emboly, epiboly, hyperbola, hyperbole, metabolism, palaver, parable, parabola, parley, parliament, parlor, parol, parole, problem, symbol, from Greek ballein, to throw (with o-grade *bol- and variant *blē-);

b. ball², ballad, ballet, bayadere, from Greek ballizein, to dance.

2. Suffixed o-grade form *gʷol(ə)-ā-. bolometer, from Greek bolē, beam, ray.

3. Possible suffixed o-grade form *gʷol(ə)-sā-. boule¹, abulia, from Greek boulē, determination, will (< “throwing forward of the mind”), council.

4. Suffixed full-grade form *gʷelə-mno-. belemnite, from Greek belemnon, dart, javelin.

II. Words denoting to pierce.

1. Suffixed o-grade form *gʷol-eyo-.

a. quell, from Old English cwellan, to kill, destroy;

b. quail², from Middle Dutch quelen, to be ill, suffer. Both a and b from Germanic *kwaljan.

2. Suffixed zero-grade form *gʷl̥-yo-. kill¹, from Middle English killen, to kill, perhaps from Old English *cyllan, to kill, from Germanic *kuljan.

3. Full-grade form *gʷel-. belonephobia, from Greek belonē, needle.

 

[Pokorny 2. gᵘ̯el- 471, 1. gᵘ̯el- 470.]

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