zalli-^(ti)

Melchert (pers. comm.) separates the verb zalli-^(ti) ‘to cover’ from the word family of zalla- ‘speed’ and connects it to a Proto-Indo-European root *k̑el- ‘to hide’ (pace HEG W-Z:629), also seen in Luw. *zal-ma- ‘shield, protection’ (Melchert 1988b:241-243, cf. HEG W-Z:633-635), reconstructable as *k̑Él-meh₂-. However, the geminate -ll- of the Luwian verb seems at first sight to require the presence of a root-final *h₁, i.e. *k̑El(h₁)-i̯é/ó-^(ti), which would have been dropped in the derivative in *-meh₂- regularly between two consonants or due to Saussure’s Law, if one posit an accented *ó in the root. On the other hand, it is possible to work with Čop’s Law, if one posits a non-attested nominal formation *k̑él-o- (matching OIr. cel m. ‘concealment(?), dissolution, extinction, death’, Andrew Merritt pers. comm.) > Luw. *zalla(/i)-, from which the verb in *-i̯é/ó- would have been derived. In this case, Luw. zalli-^(ti) ‘to cover’ would be a denominative verb. More evidence from Hittite or Palaic would be welcome.

[D.S.] [E.R.]

PIE *k̑el- means ‘to conceal’, according to LIV²:322f. (“verbergen”), while others like EIEC:134 (“conceal, cover”) and Watkins 2011a:40 (“cover, conceal, save”) add the meaning ‘to cover’, as found in Luw. zalli-^(ti) ‘to cover’. In that case, ‘to cover’ is likely to be the primary meaning from which ‘to conceal, hide’ could have developed easily as a secondary and more abstract meaning.

Among the verbal formations formed to *k̑el-, a thematic present stem *k̑él-e/o- can be reconstructed on the basis of OIr. ceilid, -ceil ‘to conceal’, Lat. oc-culere ‘to hide, conceal’ (← *celere), and PGerm. *χele/a- (OE helan, OHG helan, etc. ‘to conceal, hide’); cf. LIV²:322, where furthermore a root aorist *k̑él-/*k̑l-´ is reconstructed, traces of which can be found in OIr. cilt, -celt pret. ‘concealed’ as well as Goth. hulundi f. ‘cave’, which continues a substantivized feminine participle *k̑l̥-n̥t-ih₂-/*k̑l̥-n̥t-i̯eh₂- (LIV²:322f. with n. 3, Schumacher 2004a:394, Casaretto 2004a:439f.). Finally, Luw. zalli-^(ti) ‘to cover’ might be a denominative formation in *-i̯e/o-, which was derived from a noun stem *zalla(/i)- ‘covering’ vel sim. < *k̑él-o- (perhaps to be identified with OIr. cel m. ‘concealment(?), dissolution, extinction, death’), cf. sub PAnat. Reconstruction. Nominal stems dating back to PIE could be a men-stem *k̑él-men- n. ‘cover, protection’ vel sim. (Ved. śárman-), which also served as the derivational base of a possessive o-stem adjective */k̑el-mn-ó-/ > pre-PIIr. *k̑el-m̥n-ó- ‘having/providing protection, protecting’ (Ved. śaraṇá- ‘protecting, covering’) and, with different syllabification, pre-PGerm. *k̑el-mn-ó- > *k̑el-m-ó- (PGerm. *χelma- ‘helmet’, cf. Lühr 2000a:65). According to Stüber 2002a:116, there was also a neuter s-stem noun PIE *k̑él-os/es- ‘cover’ (“Hülle”), which is probably directly preserved in Ved. śáras- n. ‘cream, skin on the milk’ (YV+; if not from PIE *k̑erh₂- ‘to break’, cf. EWAia II:617, Stüber 2002a:116). It further forms the basis of an amphikinetic (collective?) stem *k̑él-ōs > Lat. color m. ‘color’. For the semantic shift ‘covering’ > ‘color’, Stüber 2002a:116 points to Ved. várṇa- m. ‘color’, which is based on var- ‘to cover, surround, etc.’. In Germanic, the s-stem PIE *k̑él-os/es- might underlie derivatives such as MHG hulst ‘covering’ or OHG hulisa ‘hull, shell’ (Stüber ibid.). Lat. cella f. ‘store(room), chamber’ can go back to *cēla (via the littera-rule: EDLIL:105 [with alternative preforms], Meiser 1998a:77, LIV²:322 n. 1). The lengthened-grade preform PIE *k̑ēl-eh₂- is then equatable with Ved. śā́lā- f. ‘building, house, room’ (EDLIL:105) and also forms the derivational base of the denominative verb Lat. cēlāre ‘to conceal’ < *k̑ēl-eh₂-i̯e/o- (LIV²:322 n. 1, differently EDLIL:106). For further nominal derivatives of *k̑el-, cf. the transmission above and IEW:553f.

[T.S.]

Ved. śárman- n. ‘shelter, cover, protection, refuge’ (RV+), śaraṇá- adj. ‘protecting, covering’ (RV+), śā́lā- f. ‘building, house, room’ (AV+), ?śáras- n. ‘cream, skin on the milk’ (YV+); ?OAv. sar- ‘shelter’ (Y 41.6), MPers. s’rw’r ‘helmet’, Parth. s’rw’r ‘id.’, etc.Cf., e.g., EWAia II:617 s.v. śáras-, 620f. s.v. śárman-, 631 s.v. śā́lā-, LIV²:322 n. 1, EDIV:335f.

Gk. καλύπτω vb. ‘to cover, hide, conceal’Cf., e.g., GEW I:768f., EDG:628f.

Lat. cella f. ‘store(room), larder, chamber’ (Naev.+), cēlāre, -ō pres. ‘to conceal’ (Plaut.+), cilium n. ‘eyelid’ (Plin.+), supercilium n. ‘eyebrow’ (Plaut.+), occulere, -ō pres. ‘to hide, conceal’ (Plaut.+), color m. ‘color’ (nom. sg. colōs Plaut.), clam adv. ‘secretly’ (Plaut.+); ?Osc. kellaked 3sg. perf. ‘he has stored’(?)Cf., e.g., Untermann 2000a:382, LIV²:322 with n.1, EDLIL:104f. s.v. cella, 106 s.v. cēlō, 114 s.v. cilium, 126 s.v. color, 423f. s.v. occulō.

OIr. ceilid, -ceil pres. ‘to conceal’, MW kelu pres. ‘id.’; OIr. cilt, -celt pret. ‘concealed’; OIr. cel m. ‘concealment(?), dissolution, extinction, death’Cf., e.g., LIV²:322f. with n. 2, Schumacher 2004a:394–397, EDPC:199.

Goth. hulundi f. ‘cave’; Goth. huljan ‘to veil’, OS bi-hullean ‘to veil, conceal’, OHG hullen ‘to veil, cover’, etc.; OE helan ‘to conceal, hide; to cover’, OS helan ‘to conceal, hide’, OHG helan ‘id.’, etc.; Goth. hilms m. ‘helmet’, ON hjalmr m. ‘id.’, OS helm m. ‘id.’, OHG helm m. ‘id.’, etc.; Goth. halja f. ‘hell’, ON Hel f. ‘goddess of death’, OS hellia f. ‘hell’, OHG hella f. ‘id.’, etc.Cf., e.g., Lühr 2000a:65, 240, LIV²:322f. with nn. 3–5, Casaretto 2004a:439f. with lit., EWAhd IV:927f., 1209–1211, EDPG:218, 219.