Abstract
In this work, the lexical core of Proto-Indo-European is reconstructed using only the words that simultaneously fell into 4 main branches of Indo-European languages (Indo-Iranian, Italo-Celtic, Balto-Slavic, Greek), without violation of satemization and without any additional phonemes (4th laryngeal, Brugmann’s “thorn”-clusters, *q). These restrictions minimize the likelihood of peripheral vocabulary and random coincidences getting into the reconstruction. The methodology of such a search for obtaining implied list of concepts is described in details. The resulting Swadesh list of 207 concepts is presented with a link to the work materials. Since, under such strict restrictions, it was still possible to deduce the entire list (complex cases are considered in details), there is a reason to think that it is possible to reconstruct “core PIE” (the direct common ancestor of the listed branches) as a full-fledged language and make its dictionary. Suggestions on the structure and procedure for compiling such a dictionary are given. It was also found that only 59% of the words of the resulting Swadesh list for “core PIE” are reflected in at least one Germanic language – this confirms the assumption that the Germanic branch does not originate from the core PIE, being in fact peripheral. In the process of searching for Balto-Slavic material, we have found a law according to which s and š are distributed in Lithuanian language (RUKI law operates completely in Proto-Balto-Slavic, including the endings): the suffix -s (if it is synchronously detected) is restored as -s regardless of the position; the final -š > -s, entailing the median -š- > -s- (including the satemic consonant š < č < ḱ). Also noted was *sm- > Latin sp-, Greek σμ- (later > μ-).
Keywords
Etymology, method, proto-Indo-European, Swadesh, Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Slavic, Lithuanian, RUKI rule.