Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/fōr
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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. |
Proto-Germanic
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ ~ *ph₂wéns (“fire”).
Pronunciation
Noun
*fōr n
Inflection
The original heteroclitic alternation of r/n is preserved.
Simms posits several stages of development of this word. Since no single paradigm can be asserted for Proto-Germanic at any given point in time, the developments are detailed below.
Paradigm 1: The original paradigm as inherited from PIE.
| paradigm 1Declension of *fōr (paradigm 1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| nominative | *fōr | |
| vocative | *fōr | |
| accusative | *fōr | |
| genitive | *funiz | |
| dative | *funi | |
| instrumental | *funē | |
Paradigm 2: An alternative paradigm was later formed based on the stem *fu- and regular n-stem endings. The two formations coexisted side by side for a period.
| paradigm 2Declension of *fōr (paradigm 2) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| nominative | *fōr | |
| vocative | *fōr | |
| accusative | *fōr | |
| genitive | *fuiniz | |
| dative | *fuini | |
| instrumental | *fuinē | |
Paradigm 3: At a certain point in time, the two paradigms above were blended, attaching n-stem endings to the stem *fun-. Paradigm 1 was lost after that, paradigms 2 and 3 continued to exist side by side.
| paradigm 3Declension of *fōr (paradigm 3) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| nominative | *fōr | |
| vocative | *fōr | |
| accusative | *fōr | |
| genitive | *funiniz | |
| dative | *funini | |
| instrumental | *funinē | |
After the above stages, paradigms 2 and 3 finally split. In paradigm 2 the -r- was generalised to all forms, creating *fōr, *fuïr-, which is found in North and West Germanic. In paradigm 3, the -n- was generalised to the nominative, creating *fōn, *funin- as found in Gothic and in the Old Norse form funi.
Descendants
- Proto-West Germanic: *fuir
- Old English: fȳr
- Old Frisian: fiūr, fiōr
- Old Saxon: fiur
- Old Dutch: fuïr
- Old High German: fuïr (early), fiur
- Old Norse: fúrr, fýr, fýrir, funi
- Gothic: 𐍆𐍉𐌽 (fōn)
- → Portuguese: fona
Further reading
- Ringe, Donald (2006) From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1), Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN
- Douglas P.A. Simms - The Words for "Fire" in Germanic, 2009