Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/abnijaną

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.

Generally derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₃op-, *h₃ep- (“to work; the result of work, income, wealth”) (which Kroonen gives as *h₂ep-), and compared with Sanskrit अप्नस् (ápnas, “possession, work”), Ancient Greek ἄφνος (áphnos, “riches, wealth”),^[1][2] as well as Latin ops (“help”), Lithuanian apstus (“rich, plentiful, abundant”). Kroonen is skeptical, and prefers an internal derivation from Proto-Germanic *ab (“from, off”) + a suffix *-nijaną also seen in *darknijaną (“to soil”) (whence Old High German terhcinen (“to obscure, soil, defile”)).^[3]

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑβ.ni.jɑ.nɑ̃/

*abnijaną^[3]

1. to perform, to execute

• *abniją

• Proto-West Germanic: *abnijan
  • Old English: æfnan, efnan
• Old Norse: efna
  • Icelandic: efna
  • Faroese: evna
  • Norwegian: emna, evna
    • → Norwegian Bokmål: emne
  • Old Swedish: æmna, æmpna
    • Swedish: ämna
  • Danish: evne
    • Norwegian Bokmål: evne