Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swerdą

< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swerdą

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed words 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

Nikolaev (2015)[1] suggests derivation from Proto-Indo-European *sw-er, locative of *seh₂w- (“sharp”) (with a loss of *h₂ between *s and *w) and cognate to Luwian [script needed] (šiḫual-, šiwal-, “sword”), [script needed] (šiwa-, “sharp”). Derivation from Proto-Indo-European *swer- has been proposed, but is uncertain since all other descendants, such as *sweraną, only suggest an original meaning 'to ache, hurt, fester'.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswer.ðɑ̃/

Noun

*swerdą n

1. sword

Inflection

neuter a-stemDeclension of *swerdą (neuter a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*swerdą	*swerdō
vocative	*swerdą	*swerdō
accusative	*swerdą	*swerdō
genitive	*swerdas, *swirdis	*swerdǫ̂
dative	*swirdai	*swerdamaz
instrumental	*swerdō	*swerdamiz

Descendants

• Old English: sweord
  • Middle English: swerd, sword
    • Scots: swuird, swerd, sword
    • English: sword
• Old Frisian: swerd
  • North Frisian: swird, Swērt, Swiirt
  • Saterland Frisian: Swäid
  • West Frisian: swurd
• Old Saxon: swerd
  • Middle Low German: swert
    • German Low German: Sweerd, Schweerd, Schwert
    • Plautdietsch: Schwieet
• Old Dutch: swert
  • Middle Dutch: swert
    • Dutch: zwaard
    • Limburgish: zwerd
• Old High German: swert
  • Middle High German: swert
    • German: Schwert
    • Luxembourgish: Schwäert
    • Vilamovian: świert
    • Yiddish: שווערד‎ (shverd)
• Old Norse: sverð
  • Icelandic: sverð
  • Faroese: svørð
  • Norwegian: sverd
  • Old Swedish: sværþ
    • Swedish: svärd
  • Old Danish: swærth
    • Danish: sværd

References

1. Nikolaev, Alexander. 2015. "The Germanic word for ‘sword’ and delocatival derivation in Proto-Indo-European". Journal of Indo-European Studies 37 / 3-4, pp. 461-488