Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/labōn

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Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/labōn

This Proto-West 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-West Germanic

Etymology

Of uncertain and disputed origin.

Possibly from Latin lavō (“to wash, bathe”),[1] though Latin v usually becomes f or w in West Germanic (e.g. *lafendulā, *pulwī, *wall), not b; also, the early West Germanic meanings are difficult to explain, as they do not convey the meaning of "wash" or "bathe". Old High German labōn exclusively means "to refresh, revitalize, invigorate, strengthen, provide sustenance". Not until Middle High German did laben additionally come to mean "wash, bathe with water" (in addition to the existing senses). Likewise, the earliest Old English meaning was "to pour", not "wash, bathe with water". Old Saxon lavōn only means "refresh", and Middle Low German lāven means "refresh, revitalise, provide with food and drink" and never "wash, bathe with water". Indeed, Low German laven today still signifies "refresh/replenish (oneself), feast". Middle and Modern Dutch also mean "refresh, slake one's thirst", not "wash". Only through sound-alike influence from Latin lavō and Old French laver does Middle and Modern English acquire the meaning "wash" or "bathe" (in addition to earlier senses).

Alternatively, perhaps related to Ancient Greek λωφάω (lōpháō, “to recover, rest”), itself of unknown origin.[2]

Verb

*labōn[1]

1. (transitive) to strengthen
2. (transitive) to refresh or revitalise with food, drink, warmth, etc.

Inflection

Class 2 weak
Infinitive	*labōn
1st sg. past	*labōdā
Infinitive	*labōn
Genitive infin.	*labōnijas
Dative infin.	*labōnijē
Instrum. infin.	*labōniju
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	*labō	*labōdā
2nd singular	*labōs	*labōdēs, *labōdōs
3rd singular	*labōþ	*labōdē, *labōdā
1st plural	*labōm	*labōdum
2nd plural	*labōþ	*labōdud
3rd plural	*labōnþ	*labōdun
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	*labō	*labōdī
2nd singular	*labōs	*labōdī
3rd singular	*labō	*labōdī
1st plural	*labōm	*labōdīm
2nd plural	*labōþ	*labōdīd
3rd plural	*labōn	*labōdīn
Imperative	Present
Singular	*labō
Plural	*labōþ
	Present	Past
Participle	*labōndī	*labōd

Related terms

• *laugu (if related to Latin lavō (“to wash”))
• *lauþr (if related to Latin lavō (“to wash”))

Derived terms

• *andalabōn
  • Old High German: *antlabōn
    • Middle High German: entlaben
• *bilabōn
  • Old High German: bilabōn
• *galabōn
  • Old English: ġelafian
  • Old Saxon: gilavōn
  • Old Dutch: *gilavon
    • Middle Dutch: gelaven
  • Old High German: gilabōn
    • Middle High German: gelaben (“to recover from, recuperate, become strong”)
      • German: gelaben (obsolete)
• *uʀlabōn
  • Old Dutch: *irlavon
    • Middle Dutch: erlaven
      • ⇒? Middle Dutch: herlaven
  • Old High German: *irlabōn
    • Middle High German: irlaben, erlaben
      • German: erlaben

Descendants

• Old English: lafian
  • Middle English: lavien, laven
    • English: lave, lavish
    • Scots: lave
• Old Frisian: *lavia
  • ⇒ West Frisian: lauwgje
• Old Saxon: lavōn, labōn
  • Middle Low German: lāven
    • German Low German: laven
• Old Dutch: lavon
  • Middle Dutch: lāven
    • Dutch: laven
      • → West Frisian: laavje
    • Limburgish: lave
• Old High German: labōn
  • Middle High German: laben
    • German: laben

References

1. Friedrich Kluge (1989), “laben”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 423: “wg. *lab-ō- swV. ‘erfrischen, waschen’”
2. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “885”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page λωφάω