Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/paþaz

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.

Possibly borrowed from Iranian^[1] (compare Old Persian 𐎱𐎰 (p-θ /⁠paθi⁠/)) during the Alan invasion, from Proto-Iranian *pántaHh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *pántaHs, from Proto-Indo-European *póntoh₁s, from *pent- (“path”). Compare native Germanic *funsaz (“ready, willing”) and *finþaną (“to find, to discover, to come upon”). However, many think, including the OED and linguist Theodora Bynon, that if the word had been borrowed, it would have left marks elsewhere in Europe and that this is too much of a stretch, see the entry for path. Cognate with Sanskrit पन्था (pánthā-).

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɑθɑz/

*paþaz m

1. path

• *paþjaną
• *paþōną

• Proto-West Germanic: *paþ
  • Old English: pæþ m
    • Middle English: path, paath, paaþ, pathe, paththe, paþ, paþþe, pað, peþ (Early Middle English)
      • English: path
      • Scots: peth, paith
  • Old Frisian: path
    • Saterland Frisian: Paad, Pad (Skäddel)
    • West Frisian: paad
  • Old Saxon: path
    • Middle Low German: pat, pāt, paet
      • German Low German: Padd
  • Old Dutch: path
    • Middle Dutch: pat m or n
      • Dutch: pad n
  • Old High German: pfad, phad
    • Middle High German: pfat, pat, phat
      • German: Pfad m
      • Luxembourgish: Pad
• → Proto-Finnic: *padëh (see there for further descendants)