< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wintruz

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

Unknown. Several possibilities have been proposed, although none are convincing:

The former involves an analysis of Latin unda continuing *u-n-deh₂ rather than *ud-neh₂, while there is little semantic evidence for the latter.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈwin.truz/

Noun

*wintruz m

  1. winter

Inflection

Most descendants (in particular Gothic) show a u-stem paradigm:

u-stemDeclension of *wintruz (u-stem)
singular plural
nominative *wintruz *wintriwiz
vocative *wintru *wintriwiz
accusative *wintrų *wintrunz
genitive *wintrauz *wintriwǫ̂
dative *wintriwi *wintrumaz
instrumental *wintrū *wintrumiz

However, Old Norse shows a consonant stem paradigm:

consonant stemDeclension of *wintruz (consonant stem)
singular plural
nominative *wintruz *wintriz
vocative *wintru *wintriz
accusative *wintrų *wintrunz
genitive *wintriz *wintrǫ̂
dative *wintri *wintrumaz
instrumental *wintrē *wintrumiz

If that is indeed the original paradigm, it may have arisen as follows: The nominative and vocative singular would have come from older *wintr̥-s and *wintr̥, respectively, into which an epenthetic u had been inserted before a syllabic sonorant, as is usual in Germanic. This formed *winturz and *wintur. The -ur- was then later metathesized into a form resembling a u-stem nominative (likely based on the accusative forms).

Descendants

See also
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