*h₃orb^h-ó-

The comparison between Hitt. ḫarpā- c. ‘heap’ and CLuw. ḫarp(i)- ‘id.’ leads to the reconstruction of a Proto-Anatolian thematic noun *h₃orb^h-ó- ‘heap’ (cf. also Hitt. ḫarpali- n. ‘heap, stack’ << *h₃(o)rb^h-ó-lo- n.). The oxytone accent reconstructed here is based solely on the Hittite plene spelling gen. sg. ḫar-pa-a-aš, which is why it should be taken lightly (on oxytone o-stems in Hittite, see Kimball 2015a). On the other hand, there is also a stem in *-eh₂- attested in HLuw. /harba-/ c. ‘rebel (?)’ (< *h₃Erb^h-eh₂-) betrayed by the lack of i-mutation, which is closely associated with CLuw. ḫarpanalla/i- ‘rebel’. Based on the Luwian evidence, there is most likely an n-stem that is not directly attested, but which can be reconstructed from the derivatives listed under lemma below (see also Starke 1990a:232f.). For a potential cognate in Lycian, see Lyc. B xrbblata-, which would confirm a root-final etymological *b^(h). Notice however that the Hittite verb ḫarpā(i)-^(mi) features a gemination of root-final labial in stem forms, e.g. ḫar-ap-pa-an-zi, on which see Melchert 1994a:153 and EDHIL:372.

Melchert 2010d provides a philological analysis of all Hittite cognates, including especially the medial verb ḫarp- and arguing for the basic meaning ‘to reassociate oneself elsewhere’, from which he derives the various semantics attested. He defends on page 185f. the Indo-European etymological connection with *h₃erb^h- (followed by EDHIL:311f.), citing the earlier literature.

[D.S.]

Traditionally, most of the formations in the table above had been traced back to a stem *orb^ho- ‘orphaned, orphan’, from which the meanings ‘inheritance’ (< *‘estate of an orphan’), ‘little child; small, little, helpless’ (< *‘orphaned child’), and ‘servant, slave’ (< *‘orphaned, unprotected child (sc. who, in exchange for charity, has to perform all menial tasks)’) were derived (thus IEW:781f. s.v. *orbho-). The discovery of the Anatolian cognates, most notably of the Hittite verb ḫarp-^(mi) ‘to separate oneself from someone/something and reassociate oneself elsewhere’ and Luwian ḫarpanalla/i- ‘rebel’, made it more probable, however, that the underlying basis is a verbal root *h₃erb^h- (perhaps *h₂erb^h-) with a meaning ‘to change sides, social class, or ownership’ (see Melchert 2010d for a discussion; LIV² Addenda s.v. ?*h₃erb^h- ‘die Seite wechseln’) or ‘change, undergo transfer, be turned over’ (Weiss 2006b:259). The Anatolian evidence proves that this meaning was already present in the proto-language. Weiss 2006b argues that it, in turn, goes back to an earlier meaning ‘to turn’, still visible in forms such as Latin orbis, -is m. ‘circle, ring, sphere’, Tocharian B yerpe ‘disk, orb’, and perhaps Proto-Germanic *arbaidiz ‘(field) work’ (Gothic arbaiþs, German Arbeit, etc.) if the underlying stem is *arba- ‘turning, cultivation’.

The development from ‘to change sides or ownership’ (or ‘to turn’) to ‘heap, pile’ (as in PAnat. *h₃orb^h-ó- ‘heap’) is less clear; Melchert 2010d attributes an original meaning *‘association, bringing together’ to the noun (see also EDHIL:312, comparing anda ḫarp- ‘to combine, to join together’).

Anatolian is the only branch that preserves a primary verb, though Weiss 2006b:252 and 261 suggests the idea that Latin orbita ‘rut, track left by a wheel’ and Umbrian urfeta (an object that the ministrant held during a sacrifice) are nominalizations of a participial form of an old iterative verb *h₃orb^h-éi̯e/o- ‘roll like a wheel (vel sim.)’.

The nominal formations can be traced back to a τόμος-type verbal noun *h₃órb^h-o- ‘who or what is turned over’ (> ‘orphan’, ‘slave’, and ‘inheritance’) and an internally derived τομός-type adjectiveon these types see Nussbaum 2017a ‘who has the inheritance’ > ‘heir’ (see Weiss 2006b:259 and 268). As these formations, as well as the potential iterative *h₃orb^h-éi̯e/o-, are expected to appear in o-grade, we cannot rule out that the root is actually *h₂orb^h- (see Weiss 2006b:259 note 43).

[S.H.]

Hittite ḫarp-^(mi) ‘to separate oneself from someone/something and reassociate oneself elsewhere’, ḫarpā- c. ‘heap’, ḫarpā(i)-^(mi) ‘to heap up’,  ḫarpali- n. ‘heap, stack’, Luwian Gloss wedge word ḫarp(i)- c. ‘heap’, Cuneiform Luwian ḫarpanalla/i- ‘rebel’, Hieroglyphic Luwian /harba-/ c. ‘rebel (?)’See above and Weiss 2006b:254–256; EDHIL:311f. s.v. ḫarp- ^tta(ri); ḫarp-^zi; Melchert 2010d; LIV² Addenda s.v. ?*h₃erb^h-.

Vedic árbha- ‘small, little’ (RV+)Cf., e.g., EWAia I:119f. s.v. árbha-; the existence of an early Indo-Iranian *órbho- ‘orphan’ is suggested by the loanword Finnish orpo, Estonian orb, Hungarian árva ‘orphan’.

(?) R̥bhú- ‘R̥bhú (Organizer, Divider (of time); Craftsman, Artist)’, r̥bhú- ‘artful, skillful’thus Massetti 2017a with further literature

Ancient Greek ὀρφανός ‘orphan, orphaned; bereaved’ (Od.+)a simple thematic stem *ὀρφος might be at the core of ὀρφοβόται· ἐπίτροποι ὀρφανῶν (Hsch. ο 1361 Latte-Cunningham), ὀρφοβοτία· ἐπιτροπή (Hsch. ο 1362 Latte-Cunningham), and ὤρφωσεν· ὠρφάνισεν (Hsch. ω 388 Hansen-Cunningham). Cf., e.g., GEW II:431 s.v. ὀρφανός, EDG:1113f. s.v. ὀρφανός.

(?) Ὀρφεύς ‘Orpheus’thus Massetti 2017a with further literature

Latin orbus ‘orphaned’ (Pl.+)Cf., e.g., EDLIL:433 s.v. orbus; Weiss 2006b.

(?) orbis, -is m. ‘circle, ring, sphere’ (Cato+)thus Weiss 2006b

Armenian orb ‘orphan’.Cf., e.g., Olsen 1999a:18f. with n. 31, EDAIL:535f. s.v. orb.

(?) arbaneak ‘servant, assistant, successor’a loan from Iranian according to Olsen 1999a:373, 868; EDAIL:129f. s.v. arbaneak argues for an inherited formation.

Old Irish orb(b) o, m. ‘patrimony; heir’, orb(b)e i̯o, n. ‘patrimony, heritage (of land)’, Gaulish PN OrbiusCf., e.g., EDPC:117 s.v. *erb-(y)o-, 299 s.v. *orbo-; Weiss 2006b.

(?) Old Irish erbaid ‘entrusts, commits (sth. to so.), lays (a charge, duty on so.)’from *h₃ērb^h- according to Weiss 2006b:266f.

Proto-Germanic *arba- m. ‘inheritance’ (Old Norse arfr, Danish arv), *arbija- n. ‘inheritance’ (Gothic arbi, Old Norse erfi, Old English ierfe, Old High German arbi, erbi, German Erbe, Old Frisian erve, English erf), *arbijan- m. ‘heir’ (Gothic arbja, Old Norse arfi, Old English ierfa, Old High German arpeo, erbo, German Erbe)Cf., e.g., de Vries 1977a:12f. s.v. arfi 1, 13 s.v. arfr 1, 103 s.v. erfa, Casaretto 2004a:129, 255f., Kroonen 2013a:33 s.vv. *arbja- and *arbjan-.

(?) Tocharian A and B yerpe ‘disk, orb’Cf., e.g., Adams 1999a:506; Weiss 2006b; borrowed from B into A.

Proto-Slavic *orbŭ ‘servant, slave’ (Old Church Slavonic rabъ, robъ, Russian rab, Czech rob, Serbo-Croatian rȁb, etc.)Cf., e.g., EDSIL:373 s.v. *orbъ; Weiss 2006b:259 note 44.