*kérs-/kr̥s-´

Comparing Hitt. karš-^(mi) with Pal. karš- and CLuw. karš-^(ti) ‘to cut’, a Proto-Anatolian root verb of the mi-conjugation can be reconstructed, i.e. *kérs-/kr̥s-´ ‘to cut’, whose root-final -s- is considered to be an “extension” (Oettinger 1979a:200f., HEG I-K:518, HED K:100-106, Melchert 1994a:232, EDHIL:455, Sasseville 2021a:265). Both Proto-Anatolian sequences *-érs- and *-r̥s- yield the same outcome Cun. -arš-, which is why no synchronic ablaut can be seen. Furthermore, Hittite shows a parallel deradical formation in *-i̯e/o-, i.e. karšiye/a-^(mi), although no traces of this formation has been identified so far in other Anatolian languages.

[D.S.]

PIE *kers- means ‘to cut (off)’, according to LIV²:355f. Furthermore, LIV²:356 n. 1 opts to separate *kers- from *(s)kers- ‘to scratch, card (wool)’ (LIV²:559 s.v.) for semantic reasons. However, as further argued in LIV²:356 n. 1, *kers- might be an s-extension of the root PIE *(s)ker- ‘to shear, scratch, cut off’ (LIV²:556f. s.v.).

According to LIV²:355f., verbal reflexes of PIE *kers- ‘to cut (off)’ can be found in Anatolian and Tocharian: a root aorist PIE *kérs-/*kr̥s-´ lives on in PAnat. *kérs-/*kr̥s-´ ‘to cut’ (Hitt. karš-^(mi), Pal. karš-, CLuw. karš-^(ti), see above sub PAnat. Reconstruction) and is also the basis of TochAB kärs^(ā)- ‘to know, understand, recognize’ (semantic path: ‘to cut off’ → ‘to distinguish’ → ‘to understand, know’, cf. LIV²:356 n. 3 with lit.). In addition, Hittite has a i̯e/o-present karšiye/a-^(mi) ‘to cut’; Lyd. karše‑^(d) ‘to cut off’ was formerly interpreted as continuing an iterative formation *kors-éi̯e/o-, cf. LIV²:356 with n. 5 and lit. However, according to Sasseville 2021a:206–214, the Lydian stems in ‑e‑^(d) are denominative in terms of their origin. TochB kärst^ā- ‘to cut off, destroy’, TochA kärṣt^ā- ‘id.’ are based on a dental extension of PIE *kers-, with LIV²:356 questioningly reconstructing a preform *kérs-d^he-. Malzahn 2010a:583, however, assumes “[a] denominative to an abstract in *-teh₂- from PIE *√kers”. Further derivatives of *kers- come from Greek, with, e.g., Gk. κουρά f. ‘cropping (of hair, beard or wool); etc.’ < PGk. *korsā́- < pre-PGk. *kors-éh₂- ‘cutting’; for further forms, cf. sub Transmission above. – As argued in LIV²:356 n. 1, PIE *kers- is likely to reflect an s-extended form of the s-mobile root *(s)ker- ‘to shear, scratch, cut off’ (LIV²:556f. s.v.). Further potentially extended roots that are based on *(s)ker- and listed in LIV² are *(s)kerH- ‘to separate, split, divide’ (LIV²:558 s.v.), *skerd^h- ‘to cut, stab’(?) (LIV²:558 s.v.), *(s)kerp- ‘to cut off, pluck’ (LIV²:559 s.v.), and *(s)kert- ‘to cut (up)’ (LIV²:559f. s.v.).

[T.S.]

Gk. κουρά, Ion. κουρή f. ‘cropping (of hair, beard or wool); lopping, cutting (of trees, grass); lock of hair, virgin wool, fur; cut-off end, slips of wood’ (Ion.-Att.), ἀκερσεκόμης adj. ‘with unshorn/uncut hair’ (Il.+), Kόρσης (nickname, Chrysipp.), κορσόν· κορμόν ‘cut-off piece’ (Hsch. κ 3665 Latte), κορσoῦν· κείρειν ‘to cut short, shear’ (Hsch. κ 3666 Latte), ?ἐπικάρσιος adj. ‘transverse, crosswise, at a right angle’ (Od.+)Cf., e.g., GEW I:537 s.v. ἐπικάρσιος, 935 s.v. κουρά, LIV²:356 n. 1, EDG:441 s.v. ἐπικάρσιος, 763f. s.v. κουρά.

TochAB kärs^(ā)- ‘to know, understand, recognize’; TochB kärst^ā- ‘to cut off, destroy’, TochA kärṣt^ā- ‘id.’Cf., e.g., Malzahn 2010a:579–581 s.v. kärs^(ā)-, 582f. s.v. kärst^ā-, DTB²:176f. s.v. kärs-, 178f. s.v. kärst-.