*m(e)rg^u̯ó-

The etymology of CLuw. marwāi(ya)- ‘dark’ (Hitt. markuwaya-) with the PIE root *merg^u̯- was first suggested by Neumann 1973b:298. For the verb maruwāi-, Neumann 1975b:233 tries instead to reconstruct a different root (cf. Gk. μόρυχος ‘dark’), which is rejected by Puhvel in HED M:90. It is indeed ill-advised to separate these lexemes within Luwian. The Lydian noun mruwa- n. ‘stele’ reflects a thematic neuter noun *mr̥g^u̯-ó- (or *merg^u̯-ó-, *morg^u̯-ó- with syncope of the root vowel in Pre-Lydian), which was secondarily applied to an inscribed stone. A parallel can be found in Lyc. B mruwasa-, if it indeed refers to a deified stone (see under lemma), which is a derivative in -asa- (< *-osi̯eh₂-) derived probably from the same base as the one seen in Lydian. The Luwian noun *maruwa- restored from a personal name could continue the same thematic formation or be a formation in *-eh₂-, *mr̥g^u̯éh₂-, which can be posited as the base of the CLuw. denominative maruwāi- (*-eh₂i̯e/o-) and the CLuw. and Hittite adjectives marwāi(ya)- and markuwaya- (*-eh₂-i̯o-; see under lemma and Sasseville forthcoming).

An s-extended root or an original s-formation seems to be attested as the base of various derivatives such as CLuw. marušamma/i- ‘dark blue’ and HLuw. /marusana(/i)-/ ‘firebolt (?)’ (see under lemmata).

[D.S.]

As reflected by most of its descendants, the root *merg^u̯- was an adjectival root, denoting some dark or strong color. ‘Dark’ is prevalent in the majority of branches, while a strong but not necessarily dark hue is suggested by Lithuanian márgas ‘variegated, colorful’ and Proto-Celtic *mriχtos ‘variegated, colorful’.

As a root with a distinct Caland profile (cf. Rau 2009a), *merg^u̯- serves as the basis for a variety of adjectival formations with different suffixes: o-grade *morg^u̯-o- (Lithuanian márgas ‘variegated, colorful’), e-grade *merg^u̯-o- (Proto-Germanic *merk^wa- ‘dark’), zero-grade *mr̥g^u̯-o- (Vedic mr̥gá-, Young Avestan mərəγa-, etc.), zero-grade plus *-tó- *mr̥g^u̯-tó- (Proto-Celtic *mriχtos ‘variegated, colorful’), for which compare, from the antonymic root *leu̯k- ‘bright’, the formations *lou̯k-o- (Lithuanian laũkas ‘bald, hairless’), *leu̯k-o- (Greek λευκός ‘bright, light’, Vedic rocá- ‘shining’), *luk-ó- (Old Irish loch ‘dark, black’), and *leu̯k-to- (English light, German licht).

[S.H.]

Hitt. markuwaya- ‘dark’, Cuneiform Luwian  marwāi(ya)- ‘dark’, Luwian Glossenkeilwort maruwāi- ‘to blacken, darken’, etc.Cf., e.g., EDHIL:562f.

Vedic mr̥gá- m. ‘a forest animal or wild beast, game of any kind, (esp.) a deer, fawn, gazelle, antelope, stag, musk-deer’.Cf., e.g., EWAia II:370f. s.v. mr̥gá-.

Young Avestan mərəγa- m., Parthian mwrg, Sogdian mrγ-, etc. ‘bird’.Cf., e.g., EWAia II:370f. s.v. mr̥gá-.

(?) Ancient Greek μόρφνος or μορφνός ‘dark (?)’ (epithet of an eagle in Il.; name of a species of eagle in Hes. Sc., Arist., Lyc.; meaning ‘dark’ acc. to Hdn., Suid.) < *m(o)rg^u̯sno-.Cf., e.g., GEW II:258 s.v. μόρφνος.

Proto-Celtic *mriχtos < *mr̥g^u̯-to- (Old Irish mrecht, Middle Irish brecht ‘variegated, varied (also of colors)’, Old Welsh, Welsh brith ‘marked with different colours, variegated, colored’, etc.).Cf., e.g., EDPC:280 s.v. *mrixto-

Proto-Germanic *merkwu- or *merk^wa- ‘dark’ (Old Norse myrkr, Danish mørk, Old English mierce, English murk, etc.).Cf., e.g., Heidermanns 1993a:409f. s.v. *merk^wa*-, EDPG:366 s.v. *merkwu-.

(?) Tocharian B °-markär ‘turbidity, bleariness, mud (?)’ (in snai-markär, snai-märkär, translating Sanskrit anāvila- ‘not bleary’ and niṣkaluṣa- ‘not muddy’)Cf., e.g., Adams 2013a:474 s.v. -markär, Malzahn 2010a:756.

Lithuanian márgas ‘variegated, colorful’.Cf., e.g., ALEW I:712 s.v. márgas, 759 s.v. mirgė́ti.

With *k^u̯: Proto-Slavic *mȏrkŭ m. ‘darkness’ (Old Church Slavonic mrakŭ, Polish mrok, Serbo-Croatian mrȃk, etc.).Cf., e.g., EDSIL: s.v., LIV²: s.v.

(?) Albanian murg ‘dark’.Cf., e.g., Orel 1998a:278 s.v. murg.