*sh₃éng^h-u̯-

Hart 2004a:345 connects convincingly CLuw. tammūga with Hitt. šankuwāi- (contra Rieken 2007a:296), pointing out the additional example of an initial š- in Hittite corresponding to an initial t/d- in Luwian (thus also Ivanov 1999b:40). Within the frame of the dictionary, we attribute this to an initial sequence *sh₃- (see the reconstruction under CLuw. tāw(i)- ‘eye’). The change of *n > m, Hart attributes to an assimilation to the following labio-velar *g^(h)u̯-. The gemination is not mentioned, but should reflect the effects of Čop’s Law, which may have been in effect prior to or in spite of the coloring of the vowel by the neighboring laryngeal (see Kloekhorst 2006b). In the end, Hart assumes a metathesis of *g^u̯(h)- to CLuw. -ug- (thus also Ivanov 1999b:40), which is plausible, since the labio-velar *g^u̯(h)- is not normally retained in Luwian, but becomes -w-. This means that its position after a nasal has disturbed the regular development, causing a metathesis. For another case, where *g^(h)u̯- has a different phonological outcome next to a nasal, see PAnat. *g^u̯hén-/*g^u̯hn-´. In sum, the development can be sketched as follows: CLuw. tammūga ‘nails’ < *dámmug-ā < *sh₃émmug-eh₂ < *sh₃émug-eh₂ < *sh₃émg^u̯h-eh₂ < *sh₃éng^h-u̯-eh₂ (for the last part see under PIE lemma). Whereas Hitt. šankuwāi- c./n. shows a diphthong formation of unclear origin (see also the related instrument noun Hitt. šankuwalli- n. << *sh₃eng^h-u̯- + -ó-d^hlo-), CLuw. tammūga is attested solely in the collective.

Kloekhorst (EDHIL:723-725) and Puhvel (HED ŠA:130) keep the Indo-European etymology, suggesting an s-mobile, which saves the Hittite cognate, although they do not mention the Luwian data. For a summary of the literature on the Hittite word, see HEG S:838.

[D.S.]

The root *(s)h₃eng^h- (or *(s)h₃eng^u̯h-; see below) is only attested in various words for ‘(finger-, toe-)nail, hoof, claw, talon’ and as such very probably an old body-part root without a deeper etymology or verbal meaning.

It is an open question whether the underlying root is *(s)h₃eng^h-/*(s)h₃neg^h- or *(s)h₃eng^u̯h-/*(s)h₃neg^u̯h- as most languages are in line with either reconstruction: the *g in Germanic *naglaz points to *g^h, but this could be due to a loss of the labial element after *o (i.e., *og^u̯ > *og; prior to *o > *a) or before *l (i.e., *g^u̯l > *gl); see Kümmel 2021a:197. Greek ὄνυξ, -υχος, on the other hand, seemingly requires *g^u̯h as only a labiovelar could have caused an *o to change to *u according to Cowgill’s law (cf. Vine 1999a; *h₃nog^u̯h-s > *onok^u̯h-s > *onuk^u̯h-s, whence with loss of the labial element after *u, *onuk^h-s, ὄνυξ). However, in view of the evidence for a u-stem in Toch. A maku, B mekwa, Lith. nagù-tis, Proto-Slav. *nȍgъ-tь m. ‘nail, claw’ (*h₃nog^h-u-), Proto-Celtic *angu̯īnā (*h₃n̥g^h-u̯-), CLuw. tammūga (*sh₃éng^h-u̯-eh₂), one may speculate that the acrostatic plural *h₃nogʰ-u̯-es was inherited into Proto-Greek and realized as *onok^u̯hes (cf. PIE *g̑^hu̯ḗr ‘beast’ > Proto-Greek *k^u̯hḗr > Attic-Ionic θήρ, Aeolic φήρ) > *onuk^u̯hes (Cowgill’s law), which then led to the backformation of a new singular *onuk^u̯hs > *onuk^hs > ὄνυξ (similarly, though with caution, Vine 1999a:559). After all, it is expected for a word meaning ‘nail, claw, hoof’ that its plural would be more prominent than its singular (e.g., 7 out of 7 attestations of ὄνυξ in Homer and Hesiod are in the plural). Latin unguis, too, could be a backformed nom. sg. based on the plural unguēs << *h₃ongʰ-u̯-es (with regular substitution of *-es by the old i-stem ending -ēs < *-ei̯es), but in view of the apparent schwebeablaut is perhaps better seen as an i-stem derivative, comparable to Vedic áṅghri- ‘foot’ (< *h₃e/ong^(u̯)h-r-i-; on new full grades in i-stem substantivizations see Weiss 1996a:204f.). The same i-stem, viz. *(s)h₃ongʰ-u̯-i-, might in fact also account for Hittite šankuwāi- if we think of it as an internally derived amphikinetic derivative.

The multitude of suffixes and stem formations attested for this word family (apart from the u-stem and i-stem also, e.g., a *-h₂-stem *h₃nó/ḗg^(u̯)h-h₂- ~ *h₃neg^(u̯)h-(e)h₂- as per Kümmel 2021a:197, a thematic stem *h₃nog^(u̯)h(h₂)ó- and a feminine *h₃nog^(u̯)h(h₂)éh₂-, perhaps an l-stem *h₃nóg^(u̯)h-l̥) is not surprising, considering the semantic field. For a comparable hodgepodge of formations surrounding the word for ‘navel’ see Nussbaum 1986a:190f.; Kümmel 2021a:191–197.

[S.H.]

Hittite šankuwāi- n. > c. (?) ‘nail’, Cuneiform Luwian tammūga nom./acc. coll. ‘nails’.Cf., e.g., EDHIL:723–725 s.v. šankuu̯āi-.

Vedic nakhá- m. ‘nail, claw, hoof’ (< *h₃ne/og^(u̯)h-h₂-ó-),  áṅghri- ‘foot’ (< *h₃e/ong^(u̯)h-r-i-).Cf., e.g., EWAia I:49 s.v. áṅghri-, EWAia II:4 s.v. nakhá-, Kümmel 2021a:197.

Proto-Iranic *nāx- in Khotanese pl. nāhune, Persian nāxun, Proto-Iranic *nax- in Ossetic Digor nix, Parthian nxwn, Proto-Iranic *nag-(ə)r- in Talysh nangыr, Wakhi diɣ̌ə́r/digə́r ‘nail, claw’.Cf., e.g., EWAia II:4 s.v. nakhá-, Kümmel 2021a:197.

Ancient Greek ὄνυξ, -υχος m. ‘talon, claw, hoof, nail’ (Il.+), Mycenaean o-nu-ka /onuks/ or /onuka/.Cf., e.g., GEW II:398f. s.v. ὄνυξ, EDG:1086f. s.v. ὄνυξ.

Latin unguis, -is m. ‘nail, talon, claw, hoof’ (Plaut./Cato+), ungula, -ae f. ‘claw, talon, hoof’ (Enn./Plaut.+).Cf., e.g., WH II:818f. s.v. unguis, EDLIL:641 s.v. unguis.

Armenian ełungn ‘nail’, magil ‘claw’.Cf., e.g., Olsen 1999a:138, 452f., EDAIL:254f. s.v. ełungn

Old Irish ingen f., Old Welsh eguin, Welsh ewin, Old Cornish euuin, Old Breton eguin, Breton ivin < *angu̯īnā.Cf., e.g., GPC:1262 s.v. ewin, EDPC:36 s.v. angʷīnā.

Proto-Germanic *naglaz m. ‘nail’ > Old English næġl, Old High German nagal, Old Norse nagl, Gothic *nagls in ganagljan ‘to nail’.Cf., e.g., EDPG:381 s.v. *nagl-.

Tocharian A maku, B mekwa pl. ‘nails’.Cf., e.g., Adams 2013a:502 s.v. mekwa.

Lithuanian nãgas m., nagà f. ‘nail, claw, hoof’, nagùtis m. ‘nail’, Latvian nags ‘nail, claw, hoof’, nagas f. pl. ‘both hands; hands and feet’, Old Prussian nage ‘foot’, nagutis ‘nail’.Cf., e.g., LEW I:478f. s.v. nãgas, ALEW II:778f. s.v. nãgas.

Proto-Slavic *nogà f. ‘foot’ (OCS noga, Russian nogá, Serbo-Croatian nòga, Czech noha, etc.), *nȍgъtь m. ‘nail, claw’ (OCS nogŭtĭ, Russian nógotʹ, Serbo-Croatian nȍkat, Czech nehet, etc.).Cf., e.g., EDSIL:354f. s.v. *nogà, 355 s.v. *nȍgъtь.