Caland system

The Caland system is a set of rules in the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language which describes how certain words, typically adjectives, are derived from one another.[1] It was named after Dutch Indologist Willem Caland (1859-1932), who first formulated part of the system.

The cognates derived from these roots in different daughter languages often do not agree in formation, but show certain characteristic properties:[2][3]

• Adjectives are formed using zero-ablaut ro-stems (i.e., word stems ending in *-ro), u-stems, or amphikinetic[3] nt-stems.
• Adjectives are sometimes formed using i-stems, especially in the first part of a compound.
• Corresponding stative verbs in *-eh₁- often exist.

Examples

Example 1

*h₁le(n)gʷʰ- 'light (in weight)':

• ro-stems: Ancient Greek elaphrós 'light, quick'; Old High German lungar 'fast'
• u-stems: Ancient Greek elakhús 'small'; Sanskrit laghú-, raghú- 'quick, light, small'; Avestan ragu- 'fast'; Latin levis 'light' < *h₁legʷʰ-us; Lithuanian lengvùs 'light'; Old Church Slavonic легъкъ (legŭkŭ) 'light'

Example 2

*h₂erǵ- 'white':

• ro-stems: Ancient Greek argós < *argrós 'white'; Sanskrit ṛjrá- 'brilliant'
• u-stems: Tocharian B ārkwi 'white'
• i-stems: Ancient Greek argi-kéraunos 'with bright lightning'
• nt-stems: Old Irish argat, Old Welsh argant, Latin argentum

Example 3

*h₁rewdʰ- 'red':

• ro-stems: Ancient Greek eruthrós 'red'; Latin ruber 'red'; Tocharian B ratre 'red'; Old East Slavic родръ (rodrŭ) 'red'
• i-stems: Sanskrit rudhiras (mixed with ro-stem)
• -eh₁ verbs: Latin rubeō 'be red', Old High German rōtēn 'shine red'; Old East Slavic ръдѣти сѧ (rŭděti sę) 'become red, be red'

Example 4

*bʰerǵʰ- 'high':

• ro-stems: Tocharian B pärkare 'high'
• u-stems: Hittite parku- 'high'; Armenian barjr 'high' < *-u-[3]
• i-stems: Avestan bǝrǝzi- 'high' in compounds
• nt-stems: Sanskrit bṛhánt- 'high', Avestan bǝrǝzant- 'high', Germanic name Burgund-, Irish name Brigit, Tocharian A koṃ-pärkānt 'sunrise'[3]

Example 5

*dʰewb- 'deep':

• ro-stems: Tocharian B tapre 'high' < *dʰub-ro-
• u-stems: Lithuanian dubùs 'hollow'

References

1. Benjamin W. Fortson (2004). Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 121, 123. ISBN 1-4051-0316-7.
2. Meier-Brügger, Michael; Fritz, Matthias; Mayrhofer, Manfred (2003). Indo-European Linguistics. Berlin; New York: Walter de Gruyter. W 206. ISBN 3-11-017433-2.
3. Lowe, John J. (2011). Caland Adjectives and Participles in Sanskrit and Proto-Indo-European (PDF).