Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/herþrą

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

Uncertain. Perhaps from either Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker(t)- (“to cut, divide”) (to which Orel compares Proto-West Germanic *herþ (“hearth”))[1] or *ḱerd- (“heart”),[2] with the suffix *-þrą. Compare Lithuanian kartóklys (“omasum”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈxer.θrɑ̃/

Noun

*herþrą n

(anatomy) innards; guts; internal organs

Inflection

Declension of *herþrą (a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*herþrą	*herþrō
Vocative	*herþrą	*herþrō
Accusative	*herþrą	*herþrō
Genitive	*herþras, -is	*herþrǫ̂
Dative	*herþrai	*herþramaz
Instrumental	*herþrō	*herþramiz

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *herþr
- Old English: hreþer
- Old High German: *herdar
  - ⇒ Old High German: smalaherdar (“small intestine, gut”)
Old Norse: hreðr
- ⇒ Icelandic: hreðjar
Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍂𐌰 (hairþra) (plural)

References

Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*xerþraz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 170–171
Olsen, Birgit Anette (1988) The Proto-Indo-European Instrument Noun Suffix *-tlom and its Variants (Historisk-filosofiske Meddelelser; 55), Copenhagen: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, →ISBN, page 21

[1] Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*xerþraz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 170–171

[2] Olsen, Birgit Anette (1988) The Proto-Indo-European Instrument Noun Suffix *-tlom and its Variants (Historisk-filosofiske Meddelelser; 55), Copenhagen: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, →ISBN, page 21