< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic
Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bai
 | 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
Compare Lithuanian abu (“both”), Proto-Slavic *oba, Sanskrit उभय (ubhaya), Latin (am)bō; from a common Proto-Indo-European *bʰoh₁, reflected in the neuter form *bō.[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɑi̯/
Determiner
*bai[1]
- both
Inflection
Declension of *bai (irregular)
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| plural | |||
| nominative | *bai | *bōz | *bō |
| accusative | *banz | *bōz | *bō |
| genitive | *bajjǫ̂ | *bajjǫ̂ | *bajjǫ̂ |
| dative | *baimaz | *baimaz | *baimaz |
| instrumental | *baimiz | *baimiz | *baimiz |
The inflection of *bai resembles that found at *twai.
Descendants
- Proto-West Germanic:
- Old English: bœ̄ġen, bēġen, bēġġen (< Proto-West Germanic *bōjain, a compound formed from *bō + *jain)
- Middle English: beȝenn, beigene, beine, beie, beye, bey
- Old English: bœ̄ġen, bēġen, bēġġen (< Proto-West Germanic *bōjain, a compound formed from *bō + *jain)
- Old Norse: beggja (genitive)
- Icelandic: beggja
- Faroese: beggja
- Norwegian Nynorsk: begge
- Old Swedish: bæggia, begge, bæggias, bægges, beggiars, bæggers
- Swedish: bägge
- Danish: begge
- Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌹 (bai)
Most languages have this word in a compound with the demonstrative *sa:
- Proto-West Germanic:
- Old English: bā þā
- Middle English: baþe, boþe, bayth, bothe
- English: both
- Scots: bathe, baith
- Middle English: baþe, boþe, bayth, bothe
- Old Frisian: bēthe
- Saterland Frisian: bee
- West Frisian: beide
- Old Saxon: bēthia
- Middle Low German: bêde, beide, beyde
- German Low German: beide, beid
- Middle Low German: bêde, beide, beyde
- Old Dutch: beithe
- Middle Dutch: beide
- Dutch: beide
- Middle Dutch: beide
- Old High German: beidē
- Middle High German: beide, bēde
- German: beide
- Middle High German: beide, bēde
- Old English: bā þā
- Old Norse: báðir
- Icelandic: báðir
- Faroese: báðir
- Norwegian Bokmål: både
- Norwegian Nynorsk: både; båe
- Elfdalian: båðer
- Old Swedish: bāþir, bāþe
- Swedish: både; båda
- Danish: både
References
- Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*ba-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 46