Indo-European

Indo-European
Indo-European 1814, coined by physician, physicist and Egyptologist Thomas Young (1773-1829) and first used in an article in the "Quarterly Review," from Indo-, comb. form of Gk. Indos "India" + EUROPEAN (Cf. European). "Common to India and Europe," specifically in reference to the group of related languages and to the race or races characterized by their use. The alternative Indo-Germanic (1835) was coined in German 1823 (indogermanisch), based on the two peoples at the extremes of the geographic area covered by the languages, before Celtic was realized also to be an Indo-European language. After this was proved, many German scholars switched to Indo-European as more accurate, but Indo-Germanic continued in use (popularized by the titles of major works) and the predominance of German scholarship in this field made it the popular term in England, too, through the 19c. See also ARYAN (Cf. Aryan).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Indo-European — [in΄dō yoor΄ə pē′ən] adj. designating or of a family of languages that includes most of those spoken in Europe and many of those spoken in southwestern Asia and India n. 1. the Indo European family of languages: its principal branches are… …   English World dictionary

  • Indo-European — In do Eu ro*pe an, a. Aryan; applied to the languages of India and Europe which are derived from the prehistoric Aryan language; also, pertaining to the people or nations who speak these languages; as, the Indo European or Aryan family. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Indo-European — ► NOUN 1) the family of languages spoken over the greater part of Europe and Asia as far as northern India. 3) a speaker of an Indo European language. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ relating to Indo European languages …   English terms dictionary

  • Indo-European — In do Eu ro*pe an A member of one of the Caucasian races of Europe or India speaking an Indo European language. Professor Otto Schrader . . . considers that the oldest probable domicile of the Indo Europeans is to be sought for on the common… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Indo-European — adj the Indo European group of languages includes English, French, Hindi, Russian, and most of the other languages of Europe and northern India …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Indo-European — /in doh yoor euh pee euhn/, n. 1. a large, widespread family of languages, the surviving branches of which include Italic, Slavic, Baltic, Hellenic, Celtic, Germanic, and Indo Iranian, spoken by about half the world s population: English, Spanish …   Universalium

  • Indo-European — In•do Eu•ro•pe•an [[t]ˈɪn doʊˌyʊər əˈpi ən[/t]] n. 1) peo a family of languages spoken or formerly spoken in Europe and SW, central, and S Asia, and carried by colonization and conquest since c1500 to many other parts of the world: major branches …   From formal English to slang

  • Indo-European — 1. noun a) A major language family which includes many of the native languages of Europe, Western Asia and India, with notable Indic, Iranian and European sub branches. b) Proto Indo European …   Wiktionary

  • Indo-European — noun 1》 the ancestral Proto Indo European language. 2》 the family of languages spoken over the greater part of Europe and Asia as far as northern India. 3》 a speaker of an Indo European language, especially Proto Indo European. adjective relating …   English new terms dictionary

  • Indo-European — I. adjective Date: 1813 of, relating to, or constituting the Indo European languages II. noun Date: 1832 1. a. a member of the people speaking an unrecorded prehistoric language from which the Indo European languages are descended b. this… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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