Long-range etymologies : List with all references

Borean (approx.) : KVNV

Meaning : dawn, light

Eurasiatic : *gojńV

Afroasiatic : ?*gin- 'fire' ? *kVhan- 'light' ? (+ WChad *kʷVn- 'day'); Cush., Omot. *agVn- moon

Sino-Caucasian : *[k]wăńɦV

Austric : PAA *kāŋ moon

Amerind (misc.) : ? *qaya 'morning' (R 481) [+ A K]; *kani 'yesterday, evening' (R 879)

African (misc.) : Bantu *-gòndò 'moon, month'. Cf. Macro-Khoisan *k̊nV "day, dawn".

Reference : МССНЯ 342; ND 701 compares Sem. *gVwħ- 'dawn' and Cush. (Oromo) guyy- 'day' (?); ND 1080; GE 74 *kai (with more Amer. data) (cf. also PAA *ḳiḥ- 'moon'?)

Nostratic etymology :

Eurasiatic: *gojńV

Meaning: dawn

Borean: Borean

Indo-European: *gʷhei- 'мерцать' (Pok. 488-489)

Altaic: *gi̯ā̀jńu

Uralic: *koj[ń]e

References: МССНЯ 342, ОСНЯ 1, 230-231; ND 701 *goXyV 'light, sunshine, dawn'; 905 *Kun̄yaHĺE 'sunshine, daybreak'; ND 1080 *Ḳün̄V ~ *Ḳun̄E 'sun, day' (hardly distinguishable; but cf. also Ural. *kuŋe 'moon').

Indo-European etymology :

Proto-IE: *gʷhai-

Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology

Meaning: light, bright

Old Greek: phaió-, phái̯dimo- `glänzend, stattlich', phai̯dró- `hell, klar, heiter, fröhlich, vergnügt', phai̯dǖ́nō `hell machen, reinigen, waschen; erheitern, erfrischen'

Baltic: *geĩd-r-ā̂, *geîd-r-ā̂, *gaid-r-ā̂ f., *geĩd-r-a-, *gaĩd-r-u- adj., *gaĩd-s-a- c., *gid-r-a- adj.

Russ. meaning: светлый, яркий

References: WP I 665, Buck 60.

Baltic etymology :

Proto-Baltic: *geĩd-r-ā̂, *geîd-r-ā̂, *gaid-r-ā̂ f., *geĩd-r-a-, *gaĩd-r-u- adj., *gaĩd-s-a- c., *gid-r-a- adj.

Meaning: hell, clear

Indo-European etymology: Indo-European etymology

Lithuanian: gaidrà, giedrà, gíedra `wolkenloser Himmel, heiteres, schönes Wetter, Trockenheit', giẽdra-, gaidrù- `hell, heiter (vom Wetter)'; gaĩsa-s `Lichtschein, Röte am Himmel'

Lettish: gàiss `Luft; Atmosphäre; Wolke', gàišs `leuchtend, hell, klar', dzidrs `klar, hell', dzīdrs 'azurblau; hell, klar'; dzìedrs² `azurblau'

Old Prussian: gaylis `weiss' V. 459, gaidis `Weizen' V. 259, Grunau 9

Pokorny's dictionary :

Number: 745

Root: (*gʷhēi- :) gʷhǝi-, gʷhǝid- : gʷhīd-

English meaning: bright, shining

German meaning: `hell, leuchtend'

Derivatives: gʷhǝi-d-ro-s ds.

Material: Gr. φαιδρός `klar, hellglänzend, leuchtend; heiter, vergnügt' (= lit. giẽdras), woneben φαιδι- im φαίδιμος `glänzend, stattlich'; φαιός `schummerig, dämmerig, bräunlich, grau' (Gdf. *φαι-ός oder -σός); φαικός λαμπρός Hes.;

lit. giẽdras, gaidrùs `heiter, klar' (davon giedrà, gaidrà f. `schönes Wetter'), lett. dziedrs `azurblau', ablautend dzīdrums `Klarheit'; lit. gaĩsas (*gʷhǝid-so-s), gaisa `Lichtschein am Himmel', lett. gàiss m. `Luft, Wetter', gaišs (*gaisus) `klar', gàisma f. `Licht', lit. gaĩsras m. `Lichtschein am Himmel, Feuersbrunst; Zorn', gaĩzdras m. `Lichtschein am Himmel'; wohl auch apr. gaylis `weiß'.

References: WP. I 665, Trautmann 75.

Pages: 488-489

PIE database: PIE database

Altaic etymology :

Proto-Altaic: *gi̯òjńu

Nostratic: Nostratic

Meaning: dawn, daylight

Russian meaning: рассвет, дневной свет

Turkic: *gün(eĺ) / *guńaĺ

Mongolian: *gegeɣe < *geɣeɣe

Tungus-Manchu: *giańam

Korean: *kúi

Japanese: *ka(i)

Comments: Лексика 78, Doerfer MT 143. Cf. also Mong. geji- 'to dawn' (KW 137), proving that *geɣe- < *geje-. The Korean form points to a cluster with *-j-, therefore a reconstruction *gi̯òjnu (with subsequent assimilative palatalization -jn- > -jń-) is perhaps more plausible; cf. also the variation *n/*ń in PT. The Jpn. reflex is somewhat problematic: loss of final resonant here may be explained by a standard development before a velar suffix (*ka < *gi̯òjn(u)-gV, cf. Mong. *gege-ɣe, Man. geŋ-ǵe); but one would rather expect a PJ form like *ku(i). The irregular vowel may be due to contraction, cf. a similar case in PJ *ká 'mosquito' < PA *kúńe.

Turkic etymology :

Proto-Turkic: *gün(eĺ) / *guńaĺ

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: 1 sun 2 day 3 sunny place 4 sun-heat

Russian meaning: 1 солнце 2 день 3 солнечное место 4 солнечный жар

Old Turkic: kün 1, 2 (Orkh., OUygh.), küneš 3 (YB), isig qujaš 4 (OUygh. - Br.)

Karakhanid: kün 1, 2, qujaš 4 (MK), küneš 3 (Tefs.)

Turkish: gün 2, güneš 1, (dial.) gujaš 1

Tatar: kön 1, 2, qojaš 1

Middle Turkic: qujaš 1 (Sangl., Abush., Pav. C.), küneš 1 (Pav. C., Abush., Бор. Бад.), kün 1, 2 (Pav. C., MA)

Uzbek: kun 1, 2, qujɔš 1

Uighur: kün 1, 2, (dial.) qojaš 1

Sary-Yughur: kun 1, 2

Azerbaidzhan: gün 1, 2, günäš 1

Turkmen: gün 1, 2, güneš 1, 4, qujāš 1 (dial.)

Khakassian: kün 1, 2

Shor: kün 1, 2, qujaš 1

Oyrat: kün 1, 2, dial. qujaš 1 (Kumd., Leb.)

Halaj: kin, kün 1, 2, kinäš 'sonnig'

Chuvash: kon 2, xǝʷvel 1

Yakut: kün 1, 2, kuj̃ās 'heat'

Dolgan: kün 1, kuńās 'heat'

Tuva: xün 1, 2

Tofalar: xün 1, 2

Kirghiz: kün 1, 2

Kazakh: kün 1, 2

Noghai: kün 1, 2, qɨjas 4

Bashkir: kön 1, 2, könäs 4, qojaš 1

Balkar: kün 1, 2

Gagauz: gün 1, 2, güneš 1

Karaim: kün 1, 2, küneš 1, qujaš, qujas 1

Karakalpak: kün 1, 2, qujaš 1

Salar: gǖn 1, 2

Kumyk: gün 1, 2 güneš 1

Comments: VEWT 301, 309 (Räsänen separates *gün and *gun'al', which is hardly justified); EDT 679, 725, 734, ЭСТЯ 3, 100-104, 6, 112-113, Лексика 20-21, 64-65, 77-78, Федотов 1 306-307, Stachowski 161, 164. The forms *güńeĺ and *guńaĺ must be old dialectal variants.

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Mongolian etymology :

Proto-Mongolian: *gegeɣe < *geɣeɣe

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: dawn, daylight

Russian meaning: рассвет, дневной свет

Written Mongolian: gege(n), gegege(n) (L 373)

Middle Mongolian: gegejen (HY 53, SH), gegen (SH), geji- 'to become light' (SH), gigän (MA)

Khalkha: gegē(n)

Buriat: gegē(n)

Kalmuck: gēn, gegɛ̄n

Ordos: gegē(n)

Baoan: gegaŋ

Dagur: gegēn (Тод. Даг. 131, MD 149), geji- 'to get light (about the sky)' (MD 149)

Monguor: gǝgēn (SM 132)

Comments: KW 132, 135, MGCD 290.

Tungus etymology :

Proto-Tungus-Manchu: *giańam

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: dawn

Russian meaning: рассвет, заря

Evenki: gē̂wan

Even: gǟwụn

Negidal: gē̂wan

Ulcha: Gē̂wa(n)

Orok: Gē̂wa(n)

Nanai: Gịwã

Oroch: gǟawan

Udighe: gē̂äwa

Comments: ТМС 1, 145. The reflexes match almost exactly those of *miańam 'heart', which makes us reconstruct *giańam with a later assimilative development > *giawan. Cf. perhaps also Jurch. gen-gien 'light, clear' = Man. geŋǵen, SMan. giŋiN id. (a contamination with PTM *geŋg- 'clean, clear'? - or the same root?), see ТМС 1, 177.

Korean etymology :

Proto-Korean: *kúi

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: dawn

Russian meaning: рассвет

Modern Korean: häk:wi

Middle Korean: hắis-kúi

Comments: Nam 484, KED 1815.

Japanese etymology :

Proto-Japanese: *ka(i)

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: day, period of time

Russian meaning: день, период времени

Old Japanese: ke

Comments: The root is also attested as a suffixed -ka (patu-ka '20 days', itu-ka '5 days' etc.), see JLTT 430, 448.

Uralic etymology :

Number: 333

Proto: *koje

> Nostratic: > Nostratic

English meaning: morning dawn

German meaning: Morgenröte

Finnish: koi 'Morgendämmerung', koitta- 'grauen, dämmern', koite, koitto 'Tagesanbruch'

Estonian: koi-valge 'Abendröte', koit (gen. koitu) 'id.; Morgenröte', koita- 'dämmern'

Komi (Zyrian): ki̮a (S) 'Röte am Himmel'

Khanty (Ostyak): kuńǝl (V), χuńt́ (DN), χuńǝĺ (O) 'Röte am Himmel', χuśl̥ (Syn.), kotǝl (V), χăt (DN), χătǝl (O) 'Tag, Sonne'

Mansi (Vogul): khọj (T), khuj (LM), χuj (N) 'Morgenröte', katǝ^.l (TJ), χotǝl (KU), kotǝl (P) 'Tag'

Hungarian: hajnal 'Tagesanbruch, Morgenroth'

Nenets (Yurak): χājerʔ (O) 'Sonne; klar (wetter)'

Enets (Yen): kāja (Ch.) 'Sonne'

Nganasan (Tawgi): kou

Selkup: kuetj (Ta.), kyetj (NP) 'Hitze', k͔uetje (OO)

Kamass: kuja 'Sonne'

Sammalahti's version: FU *koji (Sam > *kaja, vgl. UEW 642)

Addenda: Koib. куя; Mot. кае, кайя; Taig. хая

Yukaghir parallels: χoi 'Gott' [Warum "> juk."?]

Sino-Caucasian etymology :

Proto-Sino-Caucasian: *ɦăkwańV́

Meaning: light

Borean etymology: Borean etymology

North Caucasian: *kwănɦV ( / *ɦăkwanV)

Sino-Tibetan: OC 光 *kʷāŋ 'light'

Yenisseian: *gǝʔn-

Burushaski: [*gon ]

Comments and references : HGC 39, WFR 125. PY *-ʔ- here is irregular (does not correspond to lax phonation in PNC). Bur. g- is also irregular (obviously under the influence, of another root, see *ʁweŋV́].

North Caucasian etymology :

Proto-North Caucasian: *kwănɦV ( / *ɦăkwanV)

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: light, torch

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *kʷanʔi

Proto-Tsezian: *kʷã

Proto-Lak: čani

Proto-Dargwa: *=alkʷVn-

Proto-Lezghian: *ʡakʷa(n)

Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. The initial *ɦ- (reflected in the PL form) may be a trace of the old derivational prefix. The root is mostly used as a noun or adjective, but there are some traces of its verbal usage (cf. the Darg. form and the Av.-And. evidence).

Avar-Andian etymology :

Protoform: *kʷanʔi

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 torch 2 light (n.) 3 bright, light (adj.)

Avar: kan 1

Chadakolob: kán-ti 2

Andian language: kʷana- 3 (Khaidakov)

Akhvakh: kʷani 2

Chamalal: kʷā̃ 1

Tindi: kʷā̃ 1

Karata: kʷano 2

Godoberi: kʷãji 1

Comments: The noun and adjective 'light' in Av.-Andian languages are derived from the noun *kʷanʔi 'torch'. Cf. also Av. kan- 'light' (adj.), kán-ʎi 'light' ( = Chad. kánti, Cham. kʷana-ʎi, Gig. kun-ʎir) > Tsez., Gin., Inkh., Gunz., Bezht. kanʎi; Tind. kʷana 'light' (n.), Cham. kʷanu- (Gig. kuni), God. kʷanu 'light' (adj.).

There also exists a very close verbal root: Av. =ak- (Chad. =ak-) 'to set fire', PA *=ikʷV(n)- > And. =ikʷ- 'to catch fire', Akhv. Tseg. =uk- 'to set fire', Cham. =ikʷVn- (Gig. =ikVn-) 'to set / catch fire', Tind. =uk- 'to burn', Kar. =ekʷ-, God. =uk- 'to set fire'.

Tsezian etymology :

Proto-Tsezian: *kʷã

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: torch

Tsezi: kʷa

Khvarshi: kʷa (Radzhibov)

Bezhta: kã

Gunzib: kã

Comments: PTsKh *kʷa; PGB *kã (obl. base *kana- > Bezht., Gunz. kana-).

Lak etymology :

Lak root: čani

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: light (n.)

Lak form: čani

Comments: Cf. Khosr. čani id.

Dargwa etymology :

Proto-Dargwa: *=alkʷVn-

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: to set fire

Akusha: =alkʷVn- (Ur.)

Lezghian etymology :

Proto-Lezghian: *ʡakʷa(n)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 light (n.) 2 dawn

Lezghian: ekʷ 1

Tabasaran: akʷ 1

Agul: ʕakʷ 1

Rutul: jakʷ 1

Archi: ak:on 1

Udi: kaj 2

Comment: 4th class in Rut. and Arch. Cf. also Ag. Bursh. ʡakʷ, Fit. eḱʷ, Burk., Tp. ʡäkʷ 'light', Arch. ak:u-kes 'to dawn' ( = Tab. aku xuz id.). External data show that the original form *ʡakʷan (retained in Arch., possibly also in Ud., where kaj may reflect *(ʡa)kʷan with phonetic loss of -n) was reinterpreted in most Lezghian languages as the oblique base from *ʡakʷa (cf., e.g., the Lezg. paradigm: ekʷ, erg. eküni).

See Бокарев 1961, 63; Лексика 1971, 199; Гигинейшвили 1977, 80.

Yenisseian etymology :

Proto-Yenisseian: *gǝʔn-

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: light

Ket: kʌʔn 'light'; kъ̄ńe¹, South. kъ̄ń 'dawn'

Yug: kʌʔn 'light', kъ̄ń 'dawn'

Kottish: kinig, *kinīx, pl. kinīgān, (Бол.) knik 'dawn'; tegan, *tekán, pl. teganaŋ 'light' (te- < *de- 'eye'); kanáŋičibán (М., Сл., Кл.), kanaŋgičiban (Срсл.) 'lightning'; Ass. kanan-aǯujban (М., Сл., Кл.), kanan-ičiban (Кл.) "lightning", tɨganá (М., Сл., Кл.), tukantu (Кл.) "light"

Comments: ССЕ 226. Ket kъ̄ńe, Yug kъ̄ń, Kott kinig reflect a compound *gǝʔn + xiʔG "light + day". One should also note Ket kʌńiŋ "people (name of the Kets in "bears' language")" - lit., "the light ones" ( > Selk. qɔ̄nnɨŋ "Ket", see Helimski КС 241). Werner 1, 474 (without reconstruction), 2, 257 (with some hesitation about Kott. tegan).