Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/faþmaz

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.

From Proto-Indo-European *poth₂-mo-s, from *peth₂- (“to spread out; shoulders”), with semantic development "spread out one's arms" > "embrace, armful" > "fathom". Particularly close cognate semantically with Welsh edau (“thread”); note also Lithuanian petys (“shoulder, armpit”) and possibly Ancient Greek ποτᾰμός (potămós, “river, stream; canal”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɸɑθ.mɑz/

*faþmaz m

1. outstretched arms
2. embrace
3. fathom

• *faþmijaną
• *faþmōną

• Proto-West Germanic: *faþm
  • Old English: fæþm
    • Middle English: fathome, fadome
      • Scots: faddom
      • English: fathom
  • Old Frisian: fethem, fethm
    • Saterland Frisian: Fäidem, Fäden
    • West Frisian: fiem
  • Old Saxon: fathm
    • Middle Low German: vādem
      • German Low German: Faam
      • Low German: fadem, faem
  • Old Dutch: *fatham
    • Middle Dutch: vādem, vāem (late)
      • Dutch: vadem, vaam
        • Afrikaans: vadem, vaam
      • Limburgish: vaam (“thread”), vadem (“fathom”)
  • Old High German: fadam, fadum
    • Middle High German: vadem, vaden
      • Central Franconian: Faddem, Foadem, Fodem, Fadem, Farem
        • Luxembourgish: Fuedem
      • Cimbrian: vaadom, baadom (Mezzaselva)
      • German: Faden
• Old Norse: faðmr
  • Icelandic: faðmur
  • Faroese: favnur
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: famn; (dialectal) fabn, fabm
  • Elfdalian: farm, fammen
  • Old Swedish: famn, faghn
    • Swedish: famn, fagn
  • Old Danish: fafn, fathm
    • Danish: favn, farm, fadm
      • Norwegian Bokmål: favn
  • Scanian: fağn
  • Gutnish: famn
• → Proto-Samic:
  • Northern Sami: fáŧmi
  • Southern Sami: faerhmie