Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/fiþulā

This Proto-West 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-Germanic *fiþulǭ, of uncertain ultimate origin. It is unclear if Late Latin vitula is the origin or a borrowing of the Germanic term.

*fiþulā f

1. fiddle

   Synonyms: *gīgā, *gīgu

• Old English: *fiþele
  • Middle English: fithele, fedele, fedle, fethele, ffythil, ffythele, fieþle, fithel, fiþele, fydell, phetele, phethele, viþele
    • English: fiddle (dialectal feddle)
      • → Swahili: fidla
    • Scots: fiddle
    • Yola: videl
    • → Irish: fidil
    • → Scottish Gaelic: fìdheall
• Old Frisian: *fithele, *fidele
  • Saterland Frisian: Fiedel
  • West Frisian: fidel, fitel
    • ⇒ West Frisian: fiteltsje
• Old Saxon: *fithala
  • Middle Low German: vedele, vēdele, veddele, viddele, veddel, viddel
    • German Low German: Fiedel
    • Plautdietsch: Fiddel
• Old Dutch: *fithela
  • Middle Dutch: vedele, viedele, vedel
    • Dutch: vedel (archaic veel)
• Old High German: fidala, fidula
  • Middle High German: videle, fidele, fidel
    • Central Franconian: Fedel, Fiddel
    • German: Fiedel, Fidel (see usage notes below)
      • → Lower Sorbian: fidle
      • → Polish: fidel
    • Rhine Franconian: Fidel
      • Pennsylvania German: Fiedel
    • Yiddish: פֿידל (fidl)
• →? Late Latin: vitula, vidula (possibly) (see there for further descendants)