Dal volto al cuore e dal cuore al volto: singolari percorsi indoeuropei

This paper explores the significant and often unexpected semantic transformations that can occur among historical linguistic outcomes derived from a single common Indo-European root. Specifically, the study analyzes a root whose meaning fundamentally denotes "that which is seen in front" of the human body. Through a comparative analysis across multiple Indo-European branches, the author highlights a stark semantic divergence. In Epirotic ('parzma') and Tocharian ('pratsak/pratsako'), the root developed to signify the "chest". Conversely, in Sanskrit ('pratika') and Greek (πρόσωπον, etymologically reconstructed as *proti-oqu-s), the identical root shifted to denote the "face" or "countenance". By tracing these singular linguistic trajectories, the paper illuminates how different ancient cultural and linguistic systems mapped identical spatial and visual perceptions onto distinct parts of the human anatomy.