*ansijō

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂ens-ieh₂, with the *-ieh₂ allomorph of a *-yeh₂ derivative after the heavy base *h₂ens- due to Siever's Law (Beekes 2010: 520–21, s.v. ἡνία; Meier-Brügger 2003: 90; Ringe 2017: 143–45). The word belongs to a wider Indo-European family denoting handles, loops, eyelets, hooks, and reins, though the cognates continue several related stem formations rather than a single *h₂ens-ieh₂ paradigm: Latin ānsa reflects *h₂ens-h₂, Lithuanian ąsà is a closely related ā-stem, while Old Prussian ansis and Latvian ùoss continue an i-stem *h₂ens-i- (de Vaan 2008: 44; Kroonen 2013: 30). Especially close are Middle Irish éisi < *ansio- and Ancient Greek ἡνία (hēnía), which Beekes (2010: 520–21, s.v. ἡνία) derives from *h₂ens-ieh₂, while Ringe reconstructs their base more cautiously as *(h₂)áns- and explains the secondary initial aspiration of the Greek form through h-copying (Hauchumsprung) (Ringe 2024: 140–142; Sayeed 2019: 167). Thus, the initial *h₂ is probable but not entirely secure. Despite the formal resemblance, no secure etymological connection with *ansaz can be established.