Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/spēnuz

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

*spōnuz[1]

Etymology

Uncertain. Traditionally compared with Ancient Greek σφήν (sphḗn, “wedge”) and Sanskrit स्फ्य (sphyá, “flat piece of wood used as a ritual sword”), for a tentative Proto-Indo-European *(s)peH- (“to cut off; chip, shaving, log, length of wood”).[1] However, this connection is phonologically impossible,[2] and all of the supposed cognates are themselves of disputed origin.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈspɛː.nuz/

Noun

*spēnuz m[1]

piece of wood
chip, shaving
(wooden) spoon
Synonym: *lapilaz

Inflection

u-stemDeclension of *spēnuz (u-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*spēnuz	*spēniwiz
vocative	*spēnu	*spēniwiz
accusative	*spēnų	*spēnunz
genitive	*spēnauz	*spēniwǫ̂
dative	*spēniwi	*spēnumaz
instrumental	*spēnū	*spēnumiz

Derived terms

*sagōspēnuz (“sawdust”)

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *spānu
- Old English: spōn
  - Middle English: spone, spon, sponne, spoon, spoun, spoune, spun, spune
    - English: spoon
    - Scots: spuin, spin, spon, spone, spun, spune
    - Yola: spone
- Old Frisian: *spōn
  - North Frisian:
    Sylt: spuun
    Wiedingharde: spoon
  - Saterland Frisian: Spoune
  - West Frisian: spoen, spoan
- Old Saxon: *spān, *spōn
  - Middle Low German: spân, spôn
    - Low German: spoon
      German Low German: Spoon
- Old Dutch: *spān
  - Middle Dutch: spâen, spon
    - Dutch: spaan
      - → West Frisian: spaan
    - Limburgish: spoon
- Old High German: spān; spanna (“spoon”)
  - Middle High German: spān
    - Alemannic German: Spään
    - German: Span
    - Luxembourgish: Spoun
Old Norse: spánn, spónn
- Icelandic: spánn, spónn
- Faroese: spónur
- Norwegian Nynorsk: spon
- Old Swedish: spān
  - Swedish: spån
- Danish: spån
- Gutnish: span, spån
- Westrobothnian: spo, spon
→? Proto-Finnic: *peena (“cleat”)
- Finnish: piena

References

Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*spēnuz ~ *spōnuz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 364–365
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “σφήν, σφηνός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1430

[Orel-1] Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*spēnuz ~ *spōnuz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 364–365

[2] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “σφήν, σφηνός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1430