Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/falkô

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

There is a clear connection with Latin falcō, but it is unknown whether this word was borrowed from Germanic into Latin or the other way around.

Owing to its widespread use and early attestation in Germanic languages, and relatively late appearance in Latin, it is likely that the word originated in Germanic, from Proto-Indo-European *pelH- (“pale, grey”) +‎ *-(u)k-, a suffix found in the names of several types of birds (e.g. *alkǭ, *habukaz, Proto-West Germanic *kranuk, etc.).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɸɑl.kɔːː/

Noun

*falkô m

falcon

Inflection

masculine an-stemDeclension of *falkô (masculine an-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*falkô	*falkaniz
vocative	*falkô	*falkaniz
accusative	*falkanų	*falkanunz
genitive	*falkiniz	*falkanǫ̂
dative	*falkini	*falkammaz
instrumental	*falkinē	*falkammiz

Synonyms

*smirilaz

Related terms

*falkanaz

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *falkō
- Old English: *fealca, *falca
  - Middle English: falk (in placenames and personal names); fylkere
    - Scots: falk, fauk, faik; facky, feckie
- Old Frisian: *falka
  - Saterland Frisian: Falke
  - West Frisian: falk
- Old Saxon: falko
  - Middle Low German: falke, valke
    - Low German:
      - German Low German: Falk
      - Westphalian:
        Westmünsterländisch: Falke
    - Plautdietsch: Faulkj
    - → Old Norse: falki (possibly[1], alternatively from root) (see there for further descendants)
- Old Dutch: *falco
  - Middle Dutch: valke
    - Dutch: valk
- Old High German: falco, falko, falcho, falc
  - Middle High German: valke
    - German: Falke, Falk
    - Hunsrik: Fallek
    - Luxembourgish: Fallek
- → Late Latin: falcō (possibly) (see there for further descendants)
Old Norse: falkr
- Norwegian:
  - Norwegian Bokmål: falk
  - Norwegian Nynorsk: falk
- Swedish: falk
- Danish: falk
- Elfdalian: falk
- Gutnish: falk

References

Köbler, Gerhard (2014) Altnordisches Wörterbuch, (4. Auflage)‎

[1] Köbler, Gerhard (2014) Altnordisches Wörterbuch, (4. Auflage)‎