Definition: Proto-Indo-European language (PIE or P.I.E.) is not an actual language but a reconstructed language that is presumed to be the ancestor of modern Indo-European languages. The study of Proto-Indo-European began when philologists in the 18th century noticed that various seemingly unrelated languages had words in common. Father is one such word. The Sanskrit is pitar; Latin/Greek, pater; Gothic, fadar. Regularities were noticed and systematically analyzed using the Comparative Method. The changes that produced the Germanic languages, like English, are described in Grimm's Law. The original speakers of an Indo-European language are thought to have lived 5000 B.C.
Also Known As: *IE
Alternate Spellings: (Proto) Indo-European, Proto Indo-European
Examples:
When people talk about etymology, they often refer to a speculative PIE root.
