Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ō

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

• IPA^(key): /ɔː/

Predominantly from Proto-Indo-European *-(o)-éh₂, later merging with *-eh₂ (of several origins; see Etymology 2).

*-ō f

1. Creates feminine nouns from roots and stems.

Originally, the suffix exhibited the Indo-European o-ablaut in the root and triggered Verner's law: the original root vowel changed to early (or pre-) Proto-Germanic *a, with *(e)i and *(e)u becoming the diphthongs *ai and *au respectively, and, if the root ended in a voiceless fricative not preceded by an occlusive, this fricative gained voicing. By the time of Proto-Germanic proper, the suffix increasingly came to be used on stems more than roots and its productive ablaut effects were mostly lost, later occurring only sporadically in a few analogical cases.

More at Category:Proto-Germanic ō-stem nouns.

From Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂, *-éh₂, feminine to thematic *-o-, *-ó- and collective to thematic neuter *-om, *-óm.

*-ō f

1. nominative feminine singular of *-az (adjectival)
2. nominative/accusative neuter plural of *-az (adjectival)
3. nominative/vocative/accusative plural of *-ą (suffix of neuter a-stem nouns)

From Proto-Indo-European *-oh₁.

*-ō

1. instrumental singular of *-az (“-er”)
2. instrumental singular of *-az (suffix of masculine a-stem nouns in general)
3. instrumental singular of *-ą (suffix of neuter a-stem nouns)

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