< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wībą

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

Etymology

Unknown, with a number of disputed suggestions. One suggestion connects Tocharian A/B kip/kwīpe (“genitals, female pudenda”) (perhaps also Albanian cipë (“sense of shame, membrane”)), for a hypothetical Proto-Indo-European *gʰwíbʰ- (“pudenda”).[1][2] Another suggestion connects Old English wǣfan (“wrap, clothe”), Old Norse vífa (“wrap, veil”) for a suggested original motive of "married woman wearing a scarf".[3] Yet another suggestion connects Old High German weibon (“move to and fro”), Old Norse veifa (“swing, throw”), for a motive of "one who is moving busily; housekeeper, maidservant" (c.f. German Weibel (“manservant, usher”)).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈwiː.βɑ̃/

Noun

*wībą n

  1. woman
    Synonym: *kwenǭ
  2. wife
    Hyponym: *frawjǭ
    Synonym: *kwēniz

Inflection
neuter a-stemDeclension of *wībą (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *wībą *wībō
vocative *wībą *wībō
accusative *wībą *wībō
genitive *wības, *wībis *wībǫ̂
dative *wībai *wībamaz
instrumental *wībō *wībamiz

Descendants
  • Proto-West Germanic: *wīb
    • Old English: wīf
    • Old Frisian: wīf
      • North Frisian: wüf
      • Saterland Frisian: Wieuw
      • West Frisian: wiif, wyf
    • Old Saxon: wīf
      • Middle Low German: wîf
    • Old Dutch: wīf
    • Old High German: wīb
  • Old Norse: víf
    • Icelandic: víf
    • Faroese: vív
    • Norwegian Nynorsk: viv
    • Norwegian Bokmål: viv m or n
    • Old Swedish: vīf
      • Swedish: viv, vif (pre-1906 spelling)
    • Danish: viv

References
  1. Adams, Douglas Q. (1999) A dictionary of Tocharian B (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, →ISBN, page 238
  2. Klaus Totila Schmit and Klaus Strunk, “Toch. B kwī̆pe ‘Schaum, Schande’, A kip ‘Schaum’ und germ. *wīƀa ‘Weib’”, Indogermanica Europaea: Festschrift für Wolfgang Meid (Graz: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Graz, 1989), pages 251-284
  3. Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 584
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