Origin of the words denoting some of the most ancient old world pulse crops and their diversity in modern European languages

PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44512. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044512. Epub 2012 Sep 4.

Abstract

This preliminary research was aimed at finding the roots in various Eurasian proto-languages directly related to pulses and giving the words denoting the same in modern European languages. Six Proto-Indo-European roots were indentified, namely arnk(')- ('a leguminous plant'), *bhabh- ('field bean'), *[Formula: see text] ('a kernel of leguminous plant', 'pea'), ghArs- ('a leguminous plant'), *kek- ('pea') and *lent- ('lentil'). No Proto-Uralic root was attested save hypothetically *kača ('pea'), while there were two Proto-Altaic roots, *bŭkrV ('pea') and *[Formula: see text] ('lentil'). The Proto-Caucasianx root *[Formula: see text] denoted pea, while another one, *hōwł(ā) ('bean', 'lentil') and the Proto-Basque root *iłha-r ('pea', 'bean', 'vetch') could have a common Proto-Sino-Caucasian ancestor, *hVwłV ('bean') within the hypothetic Dené-Caucasian language superfamily. The Modern Maltese preserved the memory of two Proto-Semitic roots, *'adaš- ('lentil') and *pūl- ('field bean'). The presented results prove that the most ancient Eurasian pulse crops were well-known and extensively cultivated by the ancestors of all modern European nations. The attested lexicological continuum witnesses the existence of a millennia-long links between the peoples of Eurasia to their mutual benefit. This research is meant to encourage interdisciplinary concerted actions between plant scientists dealing with crop evolution and biodiversity, archaeobotanists and language historians.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crops, Agricultural / history*
  • Cultural Evolution*
  • Europe
  • Fabaceae / history*
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Language / history*

Grants and funding

This research is a contribution to the projects Evolution of Human Languages at the Santa Fe Institute, ERA 168/01 SEELEGUMES within FP7-supported SEE-ERA.NET Plus programme of the European Union and TR-31024 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.