*drEu̯-

Melchert 1992a:54 posits for Lyd. tro-^(d) and Luw. tarāwi-^(ti) a root *dre- followed by a nominal u-stem, suggesting a connection with Greek δράξ ‚handful’ and δράσσομαι ‚to touch with the hand’. The root is posted instead as *dreg^h- by LIV²:126, which is still fine because of the regular loss of *g^(h) in Luwic. Sasseville 2021a:189 follows Melchert’s etymology, adding Lyc. trbb(e)i-^(di) ‘to hand over’ to this word family, but rather takes the u-element as an enlargement, i.e. *drag^h-u- > PLuw. *drau̯-.Note that an a-vocalism of the root, i.e. *dra(g^h)u̯-, would also be possible from the Anatolian perspective.Concerning the various stem formations, Luwian tarāwi-^(ti) continues a deradical formation in *-i̯e/o-, whereas Lycian preserved a causative-iterative in *-éi̯e/o-. The stem formation of Lyd. tro-^(d) is somewhat obscure and debated, because the vowel -o- can be the result of a contraction *-uu̯V-. Whereas Melchert 1992a:54 posits a denominative verb in *-éh₂-i̯e/o-, Sasseville 2021a:189f. opens the possibility of seeing a root verb of the mi-conjugation, explaining the glide *-i̯- in trodν (-dν < *-i̯om) as analogical after denominatives in -o-^(d). However, a causative-iterative in *-éi̯e/o- should perhaps not be excluded either for Lyd. tro-^(d).

[D.S.]

Based on the evidence of the non-Anatolian languages, the basic meaning of the root *dreg^h- could be set up as a perfective ‘to grasp with the hand’ (cf. the root aorist set up by LIV²+s.v. *dreg^h- on the basis of Khotanese pres. mid. 3sg. dṛysde, 3pl. dṛjsāre), from which the meaning ‘to hold’ may have developed in the characterized present stems. The rather opposite meaning ‘to hand over’ attested in Anatolian would then have to be explained as secondary, perhaps due to the *-u-enlargement (see above). Alternatively (and perhaps more plausibly), one may see ‘to hand over’ as the basic meaning of the root and explain the ‘to grasp with the hand’ meaning as the self-benefactive reading of the middle voice (quasi ‘to hand over to oneself’; compare *deh₃- ‘give’ and Ved. ā́ dā mid. ‘take, receive’, Hitt. dāi, danzi ‘take(s)’ < *‘give to oneself’, as per LIV²:106 note 1). After all, both Ancient Greek δράσσομαι and the Iranian verbs are media tantum.

[S.H.]

Cuneiform Luwian tarāwi-^(ti) ‘to hand over, deliver, reveal’, Hieroglyphic Luwian /trawi-^(ti)/ ‘to hand over, provide’, Lycian A trbb(e)i-^(di) ‘to hand over’, Luwian in Hittite transmission tarāwiya- ‘delivery’, Lydian tro-^(d) ‘to hand over’ and tor- (kantoru) ‘to hand over’, etc.

Avestan dražaite, inf. drājaŋhe ‘to fix, fasten, hold’, Khotanese prs. mid. 3sg. dṛysde, 3pl. dṛjsāre ‘hold’, etc.Cf., e.g., LIV²:126 s.v. *dreg^h- ‘festhalten’, EDIV:76 s.v. *dra(n)ǰ.

Ancient Greek δράσσομαι, δράττομαι, aor. δράξασθαι, perf. δέδραγμαι ‘grasp with the hand, take a handful of, lay hold of’ (Il.+), δράγμα n. ‘handful (esp. as many stalks of corn as the reaper can grasp in his left hand)’ (Il.+), δραχμή f. ‘drachm (weight; coin)’ < *‘as much as one can hold in the hand’ (cf. Plu. Lys. 17), δράξ, -κός f. ‘handful’ (LXX, Batr., etc.), δάρκες· δέσμαι ‘bundles’ (Hsch.).Cf., e.g., GEW I:415 s.v. δράσσομαι; LIV²:126 s.v. *dreg^h- ‘festhalten’.

Old Irish dringid, ·dring ‘climbs, steps, advances’, Middle Welsh dring(y)aw ‘climb, ascend’ (loan from Irish), Old Irish dréim, drémm n. ‘climbing, ascending’; Breton dramm ‘bundle, sheaf, truss’ (cf. Gk. δράγμα).Cf., e.g., Schumacher 2004a:285f.

Proto-Slavic *dьržati ‘to hold’ (Old Church Slavonic drъžǫ, drъžati, Czech držet, Russian deržát’, Serbo-Croatian dr̀žati, etc.).Cf., e.g., EDSIL:137f. s.v. *dьržati, LIV²:126 s.v. *dreg^h- ‘festhalten’.