The Universal Bi-Gender Suffix Engine of the Archaic Pantheon: The PIE *-mó- + Agent Nominal Template

Mainstream historical linguistics frequently surrenders the etymologies of the most archaic Greek deities to the "Pre-Greek substrate," labeling them as un-etymologizable foreign loanwords due to localized phonetic variations. This monograph presents a comprehensive, unified alternative framework. We demonstrate that the names of Artemis, Themis, Semele, Moira, and Hermes are not isolated anomalies, but are mathematically regular formations built from a single, native Proto-Indo-European (PIE) structural engine: a core verbal or zoonym root compounded with the Caland-associated characteristic suffix *-mó- and an individualizing agent suffix. Crucially, this paper proves that this template operates as a universal, bi-gender linguistic factory. By maintaining the central *-mó- layer and simply toggling the final animate agent suffix between feminine (-is, -a, -ya) and masculine (-os), prehistoric speakers systematically transformed raw cosmological concepts into personified divine entities. Through regular rules of vocalic syncope, cluster simplification, laryngeal coloring, and nasal dissimilation, this framework unifies the phonetic development of the archaic pantheon under a single mechanical law.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-10-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23819173
Primary Topic
Linguistics and language evolution
Type
preprint
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preprint

The Universal Bi-Gender Suffix Engine of the Archaic Pantheon: The PIE *-mó- + Agent Nominal Template

Brandon Eli Cornelison
10 links
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Linguistics and language evolution
preprint

The Universal Bi-Gender Suffix Engine of the Archaic Pantheon: The PIE *-mó- + Agent Nominal Template

Brandon Eli Cornelison
preprint en

Abstract

Mainstream historical linguistics frequently surrenders the etymologies of the most archaic Greek deities to the "Pre-Greek substrate," labeling them as un-etymologizable foreign loanwords due to localized phonetic variations. This monograph presents a comprehensive, unified alternative framework. We demonstrate that the names of Artemis, Themis, Semele, Moira, and Hermes are not isolated anomalies, but are mathematically regular formations built from a single, native Proto-Indo-European (PIE) structural engine: a core verbal or zoonym root compounded with the Caland-associated characteristic suffix *-mó- and an individualizing agent suffix. Crucially, this paper proves that this template operates as a universal, bi-gender linguistic factory. By maintaining the central *-mó- layer and simply toggling the final animate agent suffix between feminine (-is, -a, -ya) and masculine (-os), prehistoric speakers systematically transformed raw cosmological concepts into personified divine entities. Through regular rules of vocalic syncope, cluster simplification, laryngeal coloring, and nasal dissimilation, this framework unifies the phonetic development of the archaic pantheon under a single mechanical law.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Linguistics and language evolution
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