#proto-germanic

[yvanspijk]

The word knight sounds like night but it's written with a K. That's because it used to start with a [k] sound, just like German Knecht, which has the same Proto-Germanic ancestor. The letters GH used to be pronounced as well. The video lets you hear the reconstructed evolution of knight from Proto-Germanic to Southern British English.

The common Proto-Germanic ancestor of knight, German Knecht and Dutch knecht meant 'boy; servant; attendant'. In Middle English, knight came to denote an attendant who became a soldier, and subsequently a soldier who became a nobleman through knighthood.

#historical linguistics #linguistics #language #etymology #english #old english #middle english #early modern english #proto-germanic #proto-west germanic #lingblr

[thinksandthings]

butterfly

There is a ton of variation in the word for butterfly between different languages, and they’re all actually really interesting. Butterfly, the modern English version, seems to be derived from the Old English buttorfleoge, which is essentially of the same morphological breakdown, being "butter" + "fly." However, more interesting than the words themselves is the story behind them. 

According to folk mythology (some credit the Brothers Grimm, but I couldn’t find it specifically referenced in their stories) butterflies were actually witches in disguise who feed on butter left out on windowsills. This theory shows up in some older German cognates, like milchdieb “milk - thief” and botterlicker “butter - licker.” 

Another version of the story says that they’re actually named after the yellowish color of their poo, which is supported by the now obsolete Dutch cognate boterschijte which is literally “butter - poo.” Although this was all over the internet, I had a hard time reliably verifying this one, but it’s kinda funny either way. 

I might write a few more of these for different languages, mostly because there are a lot of beautiful mythological associations with the soul and the psyche, but the one English ended up with makes them out to be vaguely spooky milk nibblers. 

#etymonline.com #The Project Gutenberg eBook of Grimms’ Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm #wordhistories.net #wiktionary.org #etymologeek.com #collinsdictionary.com #insects #fun facts #history #Dutch #Proto-Germanic #Old English #moths #words #icysedgewick.com #wings #nature #witches #folktales #folklore #myths #legends #i thought this would be really cute but i just think its so funny

[fjorrd]

follow up post of my reconstruction for the potential proto-germanic native word for bear that got displaced by the word we use today that means brown or grey. the native word was displaced due to taboo of invoking the animal’s true name. here, i want to theorize what the potential modern & OE spelling would be.

you can find the reconstruction on this post, but for the sake of this, from proto-indo-european root word *h₂ŕ̥tḱos, we get proto-germanic *arþaz.

the unstressed ending vowel, az in arþaz, then gets lost. arþaz becomes arþ.

in both anglian and west saxon dialects of old english, *armaz became earm (modern english ‘arm’). proto-west-germanic arþ could either become earþ or ærþ, but ea is more likely the case. predictably, due to the r sound in english of /ɑr/ (using the rhotic r), earþ or ærþ (old english) would once again be spelt arþ/arth in modern english.

moving onto the þ in arþ, since the thorn is in the final position, the [θ] sound was spoken. like in the english word smooth, the [θ] is preserved from old english "smēþe" where the ending was dropped. since we no longer use the thorn ("þ"), arþ becomes arth.

PIE  *h₂ŕ̥tḱos → proto-germanic *arþaz → proto-west germanic *arþ → old english *earþ/ærþ → middle english *arth → modern english *arth

#disclaimer: i am not a historical linguistics major i just love proto-germanic and the reconstruction process #proto-germanic #language reconstruction #english etymology #old english #.chatter #asterisk is to signify its reconstructed fyi

[trilobiter]

One thing I've noticed, as an extremely amateur linguistics enthusiast, is that people seem to have an incorrect understanding of the terms "proto-Germanic" and "Germanic language family."

English is a Germanic language. So, unsurprisingly, is German. However, German is not the "most" Germanic language, or "more" Germanic than English, or even more closely related to proto-Germanic than English. This entire family of languages, including English, Dutch, Swedish, German, and others, are all descended from proto-Germanic, a language which is defined as such by the fact that all the later Germanic languages are descended from it.

The use of the term "Germanic" derives from a sense of the word "German" that is much, much older than either the modern German nation (of 19th century origin) or the modern German language (which developed gradually over the course of the middle ages). The Romans called various tribes of northern Europe "Germani," and they were doing this back when these tribes were still speaking closely related varieties of what was essentially the same language.

So it is a basic error to look at the Germanic language family and say "these languages are 'Germanic' in the sense that they are all related to, or similar to, German." German is but one among many Germanic languages. Modern German speakers would have no better luck understanding a proto-Germanic speaker than modern English speakers would. German does preserve certain features that English no longer has (like grammatical gender and noun cases), but it has absorbed extensive Greek and Romance vocabulary and undergone dramatic sound shifts, just the same as English has.

In fact, there are some English words that at least appear more obviously similar to their proto-Germanic antecedents than the German versions: consider how proto-Germanic *ap(a)laz gave the English "apple" and the German "Apfel," or how *tanthu- gave rise to English "tooth" and German "Zahn." But if you understand the processes that affected both languages over the course of their histories, it's plain that they both have deep roots in proto-Germanic, and that they've both widely diverged from it.

#trilobiter #language #linguistics #english #german #proto-germanic

[theexodvs]

Sorry, me again. I meant is adolescent synonymous with teenager, not adult

No problem. For most English-speakers, the terms "adolescent" and "teenager" are basically synonyms. However, I don't believe in adolescence and I don't find teenager a useful term.

The 13-to-19 age bracket does not correspond with a consistent age group where psychophysiological development is occurring constantly across the human race. Proto-Germanic put -*tehun ("ten") at the end of numbers thirteen through nineteen. Why it didn't for eleven or twelve is anyone's guess. Both Latin and Classical Chinese, its contemporaries, used their respective words for "ten" as either prefixes or suffixes for all numbers from eleven to nineteen, inherited in their modern descendants, so this is by no means a universal feature of languages. English, being a Germanic language, inherited this quirk from PG, until the suffix mutated into Modern English -teen. This arbitrary range produced by an accident of historical linguistics was known to be used in English as early as the 1664 play The Cheats by John Wilson, to specify that the character of Beatrice is not a child, in the phrase "in her teens."

In reality, puberty is usually already in full swing by one's thirteenth year, and is usually complete well before the age of nineteen.

#adolescence is not real #adolescence isn't real #adolescence #adolescence does not exist #adolescence doesn't exist #adolescence is a lie #historical linguistics #etymology #philology #linguistics #teenaged #Proto-Germanic #Proto Germanic #Protogermanic

[jeanatartheartist]

Green

Green, a color often associated with nature, growth, and renewal, has a rich and fascinating history that dates back to the earliest days of human civilization. The word “green” is believed to have originated from the Old English word “grēne,” which is derived from the Proto-Germanic word “gronja.” The color green has been an important part of many cultures and has been used for everything from…

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#absinthe #antioxidant #aventurine #baroque #chartreuse #chrysoprase #dionysus #emerald #erik the red #feudalism #green #grene #gronja #isis #malachite #onyx #proto-germanic #the green knight #tourmaline #verdigris #vitriol

[mehilaiselokuva]

Finnish words by unusual language of origin

*note: this does not list all the languages that the word was borrowed from, only the oldest known origin of it

*also: if you've never seen a word on this list, please don't doxx me. These are all real words. I don't spread misinformation. Why do I still need to put this in my posts

Job: Ammatti (from proto-celtic *ambaxtos) Fun Fact: this is the same root that forms the english word “Ambassador”!

Wagon: Kärry (from proto-celtic *karros) Fun Fact: This is the root that forms the English word “Car”!

Poem: Runo (from proto-celtic *rūnā) Fun Fact: This is the root that forms the English word “Rune”!

Hikikomori: Hikky (from Japanese hikikomori 引き籠もり)

Clam: Simpukka (from Mandarin zhēnzhū 珍珠)

Goods: Tavara (from proto-turkic *tabar) Fun Fact: words descended from this root can be found as far as China and Siberia!

Dungeon, jail: Tyrmä (from proto-turkic *türmä) Fun Fact: This toot extends to Azerbaijan and even Yiddish!

Rauma (city name) (from proto germanic *straumaz meaning stream)

Cherry: Kirsikka (from ancient creek kerasós κερασός which might also have older forms) Fun Fact: this word is widespread, even appearing in Arabic.

God: Jumala (possibly from proto-indo-iranian) Fun Fact: This word could be related to Sanskrit dyumna द्युम्न if it is from proto-indo-iranian

#finnish #langblr #langblog #language #study blog #suomen kieli #finnish language #finnish langblr #word roots #proto-celtic #proto-turkic #germanic #celtic #indo-iranian

[eris-morgan]

Hellhound Protogen - Adopt Auction

Sb: 135$

Mb: 5$

Ab: 500$

MORE INFO HERE!

#art #digital art #adopt auction #adoptable #adoptables #adoption #digital drawing #artists on tumblr #monsters #furry art #furry oc #anthro #anthro art #fursona #furries #protogen #proto germanic #cyborg #android #robots #character design #original character #furry character #furry #furry fandom #reference sheet #reference #canine #wolf #hellhound

[noosphe-re]

*gno-

*gnō-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to know."

It forms all or part of: acknowledge; acquaint; agnostic; anagnorisis; astrognosy; can (v.1) "have power to, be able;" cognition; cognizance; con (n.2) "study;" connoisseur; could; couth; cunning; diagnosis; ennoble; gnome; (n.2) "short, pithy statement of general truth;" gnomic; gnomon; gnosis; gnostic; Gnostic; ignoble; ignorant; ignore; incognito; ken (n.1) "cognizance, intellectual view;" kenning; kith; know; knowledge; narrate; narration; nobility; noble; notice; notify; notion; notorious; physiognomy; prognosis; quaint; recognize; reconnaissance; reconnoiter; uncouth; Zend.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit jna- "know;" Avestan zainti- "knowledge," Old Persian xšnasatiy "he shall know;" Old Church Slavonic znati "recognizes," Russian znat "to know;" Latin gnoscere "get to know," nobilis "known, famous, noble;" Greek gignōskein "to know," gnōtos "known," gnōsis "knowledge, inquiry;" Old Irish gnath "known;" German kennen "to know," Gothic kannjan "to make known."

—Etymonline

#etymology #knowing #knowledge #know #language #linguistics #Proto-Indo-European #Sanskrit #Persian #Latin #Greek #Irish #German #quote #gnosis

[yvanspijk]

The French word for a werewolf is loup-garou. Etymologically, this compound is pleonastic: garou means 'werewolf' and loup means 'wolf'. It's also hybrid: loup stems from Latin lupus whereas garou was borrowed from West Germanic *werwulf. Click the image for more.

#historical linguistics #linguistics #language #etymology #english #latin #french #old french #proto-germanic #proto-indo-european #proto-italic #proto-west germanic #lingblr #werewolf #werewolves

[archaeology-findings]

Daily Etymology #156

Spiel

Spiel was borrowed from the German spiel or the Yiddish shpil, meaning game or performance. Both came from the Old High German spil, from the Proto Germanic *spil, meaning game or dance, which is of uncertain etymology.

* Indicates a reconstructed word

#linguistics #etymology #lingblr #root word #proto germanic #yiddish

[readmypaws]

Deeeeeeeeefinetly not for any upcoming project that I've been working on for 3 months now..... deeeeeefinetly not

#conlang #conlanging #langblr #worldbuilding #historical linguistics #196 #proto germanic #youtube #the great migration #tgmp #story #storytelling #storyblr #writing prompt #writing

[fjorrd]

#im dying bro im fuckin dying i remembered how much i love proto germanic and then i thought abt all the langs #that came before PIE ..... #.chatter #historical linguistics

[willowcrowned]

writing sw fic in a star wars based conlang I constructed myself to avoid breaking suspension of disbelief by using any words that have connections to earth culture (all of them)

#like unfortunately I know the word ship comes from the old English scip which comes from the proto germanic *skipa #which could very likely come from the proto-indo-european *skei #which means that for me the word spaceship breaks suspension of disbelief #how can you have the word ship in a world with no Pontic-Cassian steppe? #linguistics #star wars

[kutyozh]

so I'm trying to add new vocabulary to my Anki but I keep getting DISTRACTED by every Czech word I can't logically derive from my existing knowledge of Slavic languages and this is how I ended up here:

wonder why "art" is called "umění" in Czech - sounds familiar but huh

ohh yeah уметь -> umět haha

wait what's art got to do with "can"/"to be able". I guess you can do art... ok moving on

write down the german translation for "art" in Anki

"Kunst" ..................................................... hold on a sec. "können"?????

:

7. mind = blown

#. the wiktionary adventures continue shkdjfshd #. the czech word is ultimately from proto slavic *ũmъ (mind) #. idk man i love that #čumblr #langblr #etymology #german #czech #r.wiki

[isfjella]

swōtī mōdēr, ne kann webaną, hwandê lubōlīkō Frawjǭ mek midi langōndē furi kwēnį habaiþi uberkumanaz.

#lesbian #sapphic #wlw pride #lesbianism #sappho #proto germanic #english translation: “sweet mother I cannot weave for slender aphrodite has overcome me with longing for a girl”