< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic
Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ehþau
Proto-Germanic
Etymology
Compound of *eh (“but, except”) + *þau. The former being the only Germanic evidence of Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs/*h₁eḱ(s). While the Germanic form could theoretically also represent *eþ-þau, the form *eh-þau is required by the Gothic reflex, where expected *𐌹𐌸- is instead 𐌰𐌹𐌸-, which shows the following consonant must have been -𐌷-, -𐍈- or -𐍂-; and further shows the Proto-Germanic form itself had not yet become *eþþau as it did in the daughter languages. For the semantics, compare Proto-Celtic *extos (“except, but”), Ancient Greek ἐκτός (ektós, “without, outside; except”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈex.θɑu̯/
Conjunction
*ehþau
- or, otherwise, but if
Related terms
- *efþau (or *ifiþau?)
- *ufþau (or *ufaþau?)
- *uþþau
Descendants
- Old English: eþþa
- Old Norse: eða
- Icelandic: eða
- Gothic: 𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌿 (aiþþau)