Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/spéḱs

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

Etymology

From *speḱ- (“to see, look”) +‎ *-s (root nominal suffix).

Noun

*spéḱs m

1. watcher
2. spy

Inflection

Only the e-grade of this root noun is securely attested (in Latin -spex compounds). The declension ablaut is thus ambiguous. If this paradigm had e-grade/zero ablaut, it would be:

Athematic, amphikinetic
	singular
nominative	*spéḱs
genitive	*spḱés
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*spéḱs	*spéḱh₁(e)	*spéḱes
vocative	*spéḱ	*spéḱh₁(e)	*spéḱes
accusative	*spéḱm̥	*spéḱh₁(e)	*spéḱm̥s
genitive	*spḱés	*?	*spḱóHom
ablative	*spḱés	*?	*spḱmós, *spḱbʰós
dative	*spḱéy	*?	*spḱmós, *spḱbʰós
locative	*spéḱ, *spéḱi	*?	*spḱsú
instrumental	*spḱéh₁	*?	*spḱmís, *spḱbʰís

Weiss, accepting Ancient Greek σκώψ (skṓps) as related, reconstructs the following acrostatic paradigm:

Athematic, acrostatic
	singular
nominative	*spóḱs
genitive	*spéḱs
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*spóḱs	*spóḱh₁(e)	*spóḱes
vocative	*spóḱ	*spóḱh₁(e)	*spóḱes
accusative	*spóḱm̥	*spóḱh₁(e)	*spóḱm̥s
genitive	*spéḱs	*?	*spéḱoHom
ablative	*spéḱs	*?	*spéḱmos, *spéḱbʰos
dative	*spéḱey	*?	*spéḱmos, *spéḱbʰos
locative	*spéḱ, *spéḱi	*?	*spéḱsu
instrumental	*spéḱh₁	*?	*spéḱmis, *spéḱbʰis

Alternative reconstructions

• *spóḱs

Descendants

• Hellenic:
  • >? Ancient Greek: σκώψ (skṓps) (with analogical long vowel?)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *spáćš (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Italic: *speks (see there for further descendants)