Content area

Full Text

Headnote

Since the early 19th century, the PIE word ·bhréh2ter- 'brother' has been assumed to be based on the verbal root ·b er- 'to bring'. However, its exact morphological structure and semantics are a matter of debate. If the etymological connection is correct, the most plausible original meaning of this word seems to be 'a birth relative', derived from ·b er- in the meaning 'to give birth'. In this article I discuss a possible derivational history of this term and how it might have acquired its attested meaning. Further, I would like to argue that the meaning 'brother' ('sister' or 'sibling') is one of the numerous realizations of a prototypical concept 'offspring' conventionalized in a specific linguistic and cultural context.

1.Indo-European notion of 'brotherhood'

1.1. Many Indo-European languages have terms for 'brother' originating from the PIE form reconstructed as an aerostatic stem · bhréh2ter-/ ·bhreh2tr- (cf. IEW 163-164; EIEC 84; NIL 38-41), e.g. OInd. bhratar-, Av., OPers. brātar-, Lat. frater, Goth. broþar, OIr. bráth(a)ir, OCS brat(r)u, Old Prussian brati, Arm. elbayr, Toch. A pracar, Toch. B procer, and Gr. (Att.) фратрр 'the member of the phratry'(!). Since the dawn of Indo-European studies, there have been quite a few discussions on the etymology and meaning of this word in Proto-Indo-European.

1.2. Bopp (1871 [1837]: 190-191) himself considered the ter-stem in question to be a nomen agentis derived from the verbal root "·bcar" 'to bring, carry' (< ·bher as per LlV 76) reanalyzed as 'to support, take care, foster' - "der Erhalter, als der Mutter, der Schwestern und jüngeren Brüder Stütze nach des Vaters Tod" (Bopp (1871 [1837]: 190-191). He also noticed that Sanskrit had a similar kinship term derived from this very verb following the same semantic principle: bhártar (RV+) 'the one who nurtures, fosters; master, breadwinner; husband' and its motion formation bhartri (AV+) 'a woman who nurtures, fosters; mother' (cf. Grassman 1873: 929; Böhtlingk and Roth V / 216; cf. also Parvulescu 1996:103). The kinship meaning is attested already in the Rigveda:

práthista yaman prthivî cid esam bhárteva gárbham svám íc chávo dhuh

Even the Earth has spread herself at their journey. Like a husband an embryo, they have implanted their own strength (in the earth) (RV V 58.7)

It should be emphasised that Ved....

Show less