Derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed- (“good”). Cognate with Sanskrit भद्र (bhadrá).[1]
*bataz (adverb *wela, comparative *batizô, superlative *batistaz)
Strong declension | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | *bataz | *batai | *batō | *batôz | *batą, -atō | *batō |
Accusative | *batanǭ | *batanz | *batǭ | *batōz | *batą, -atō | *batō |
Genitive | *batas, -is | *bataizǫ̂ | *bataizōz | *bataizǫ̂ | *batas, -is | *bataizǫ̂ |
Dative | *batammai | *bataimaz | *bataizōi | *bataimaz | *batammai | *bataimaz |
Instrumental | *batanō | *bataimiz | *bataizō | *bataimiz | *batanō | *bataimiz |
Weak declension | ||||||
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | *batô | *bataniz | *batǭ | *batōniz | *batô | *batōnō |
Accusative | *batanų | *batanunz | *batōnų | *batōnunz | *batô | *batōnō |
Genitive | *batiniz | *batanǫ̂ | *batōniz | *batōnǫ̂ | *batiniz | *batanǫ̂ |
Dative | *batini | *batammaz | *batōni | *batōmaz | *batini | *batammaz |
Instrumental | *batinē | *batammiz | *batōnē | *batōmiz | *batinē | *batammiz |
There are no descendants of the base adjective itself, and it is not certain whether it was still in use in Proto-Germanic. However, it remained in use as a base for word derivation, and its comparative and superlative forms have extant descendants (including English "better" and "best").