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( Proto-Indo-European root)
The roots of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) are basic morphemes carrying a lexical meaning. By addition of suffixes, they form stems, and by addition of desinences, these form grammatically inflected words (nouns or verbs). PIE roots are subject to ablaut, and except for a very few cases, the root is fully characterized by its constituent consonants, while the vowel may alternate. PIE roots as a rule have a single syllabic core, and by ablaut may either be monosyllabic or unsyllabic. PIE roots may be of the following form (where K is a voiceless stop, G an unaspirated and Gh an aspirated stop, R a sonorant (r, l, m, n, w, y) and H a fricative (either laryngeal or s) A root has at least one consonant, in some theories at least two (*h1e? vs. e? "quick"). Depending on the interpretation of laryngeals, some roots seem to have an inherent a or o vowel, *ar- (vs. *h2ar-) "fit", *ong? (vs. *h3eng?) "anoint", *b?ag "consume", *a? (vs. *h2e?) "keen".
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