Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wĺ̥kʷos

Etymology
The word is a thematic accented zero-grade noun perhaps derived from the adjective ; compare 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬,. Stress shift onto the zero-grade is consistent with nominalized adjectives: compare 🇨🇬 from. Alternatively, the word may be a derivative of the verbal root. In either case, the word's formation closely resembles that of, another thematic accented zero-grade noun whose referent is an animal subject to cultural taboos.

The Latin and Greek reflexes are unexpected (vs. expected Lat. *vulquus, Gk. *álpos, according to the regular progression PIE *l̥ > Lat. ol (later o changes to u in some places), Gk. al). The Latin reflex is a borrowing from Osco-Umbrian (where PIE */kʷ/ regularly gave /p/), and both the Italic and Greek reflexes underwent metathesis pointing to an alternative reconstruction *lúkʷos, possibly as a taboo deformation meant to offset the fear usually associated with the animal. A deformation would explain the metathesis of */w/ and */l/, which also occurred in Greek ( → → ), and also explains the presence of delabialized /k/ per the boukólos rule (regardless of whether it is Proto-Indo-European already or only Proto-Greek). In both cases, the expected forms are so close to the word for “fox” – compare 🇨🇬, – that avoiding conflation of the two words for “wolf” and “fox” may have motivated either alteration or borrowing.

Most of the Germanic reflexes, with */kʷ/ > */g(ʷ)/ > */b/ > */p/ > /f/, also underwent unusual sound changes, as seen in 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬 < <  <. But the velar was retained in at least one form, i. e. 🇨🇬.

Armenian and Celtic have replaced the word with due to taboo; compare 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬. In Celtic, is also used to designate the wolf.

Noun

 * 1)  wolf

Descendants

 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)
 * (< *lukʷos)