< Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic
Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/fau
 | This Proto-West 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-West Germanic
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *fawaz.
Adjective
*fau[1]
- few
Inflection
| wa-stem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | *fau | *fau | *fau |
| Accusative | *fawanā | *fawā | *fau |
| Genitive | *fawas | *faweʀā | *fawas |
| Dative | *faumē | *faweʀē | *faumē |
| Instrumental | *fau | *faweʀu | *fau |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | *fawē | *fawō | *fau |
| Accusative | *fawā | *fawā | *fau |
| Genitive | *faweʀō | *faweʀō | *faweʀō |
| Dative | *fawēm, *faum | *fawēm, *faum | *fawēm, *faum |
| Instrumental | *fawēm, *faum | *fawēm, *faum | *fawēm, *faum |
Descendants
- Old English: fēaw
- Middle English: fewe, feawe, feu
- Scots: feu, fyow
- English: few
- Middle English: fewe, feawe, feu
- Old Frisian: fē
- Old Saxon: faho, fā, fō
- Middle Low German: fȫge, vȫge
- Low German: fege, vöge
- Middle Low German: fȫge, vȫge
- Old High German: fao, fō, fōh
References
- Ringe, Donald; Taylor, Ann (2014) The Development of Old English (A Linguistic History of English; 2), Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 173: “PWGmc nom.-acc. pl. neut. *fau, dat. pl. *faum”