Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/limuz

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Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/limuz

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

Alternative forms

• *līmuz

Etymology

Probably from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to bend, skew”, but which root in particular is uncertain: possibilities include *h₂el- (extended as *h₂l-ey-), *Heh₃l- (extended as *(H)h₃l-ey-), and *leyH-. Cognate with Latin līmus (“askew”), but with a slightly different derivation. Also compare *liþuz (“joint, bend, limb”).[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈli.muz/

Noun

*limuz m

1. (anatomy) limb; member

   Synonym: *liþuz

2. (of a tree) branch; twig

   Synonyms: *astaz, *telguz, *tōgô, *twīgą

Inflection

u-stemDeclension of *limuz (u-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*limuz	*limiwiz
vocative	*limu	*limiwiz
accusative	*limų	*limunz
genitive	*limauz	*limiwǫ̂
dative	*limiwi	*limumaz
instrumental	*limū	*limumiz

Related terms

• *līmô
• *liþuz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *limu
  • Old English: lim n, lym n
    • Middle English: lyme, lim
      • Scots: lim, lym
      • English: limb
  • Old Saxon: *limu, *lim
    • Middle Low German: lem
  • Old Dutch: *limu
    • Middle Dutch: lēme
      • Dutch: leem
• Old Norse: limr m; lim f; lim n
  • Icelandic: limur
  • Faroese: limur
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lem
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: lem
  • Old Swedish: limber
    • Swedish: lem
  • Danish: lem

References

1. Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*limu-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 338