Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-anz

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

From Proto-Indo-European *-oms (o-stem accusative plural), from *-os (o-stem suffix) +‎ *-ms (accusative plural suffix); compare Ancient Greek -ους (-ous) (dialectal -ως (-ōs), -οις (-ois), -ονς (-ons)), Hittite -𒍑 (-uš), Latin -ōs, Lithuanian -us, and Sanskrit -आन् (-ān).

Suffix

*-anz^[1]^[2]

Forms the accusative plural of masculine a-stem nouns.
‎*stainaz (“stone”) + ‎*-anz → ‎*stainanz (“stones”)

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *-ā
- Old Saxon: -a (rare)
  - Middle Low German: -e
    - German Low German: -e
- Old Dutch: -a
  - Middle Dutch: -e
- Old High German: -a, -ā
  - Middle High German: -e (Alemmanic -ā)
    - Alemannic German:
      Walser German: -a, -ä
    - German: -e
    - East Central German: -e
    - Rhine Franconian:
      Hessian: -e (Northern)
Proto-Norse: -ᚨᚾ (-an)
- Old Norse: -a
  - Icelandic: -a
  - Faroese: -a (Suðuroy, obsolete)^[3]
  - Elfdalian: -a
  - Middle Norwegian: -a, -e
  - Old Swedish: -a
  - Old Gutnish: -a
  - Old Danish: -æ, -e
    - Danish: -e
      - Norwegian Bokmål: -e
Gothic: -𐌰𐌽𐍃 (-ans)

References

^ Fulk, R[obert] D. (September 2018), “Nouns”, in A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages (Studies in Germanic Linguistics; 3)‎^[1], Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →DOI, →ISBN, →LCCN, § 7.8, page 147.
^ Ringe, Donald (2006), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎^[2], Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 269
^ Hammershaimb, V. U. (1854), “Færøisk sproglære”, in Annaler for nordisk oldkyndighed og historie, Kjöbenhavn: Det Kongelige Nordiske oldskriftselskab, →OCLC, page 272:
Genstantisformen i flertallet er nu almindelig lig nævneformen af hankönsordene, ligesom i hunkonsordenes böjning, undtagen på Syderø, hvor den gamle endelse på a har holdt sig; her siger man da stedse: nf. drangar , gf.1 dranga, snigla, o. s. v. i alle hankönsord, både af den stærke og svage böjning.

[1] Fulk, R[obert] D. (September 2018), “Nouns”, in A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages (Studies in Germanic Linguistics; 3)‎^[1], Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →DOI, →ISBN, →LCCN, § 7.8, page 147.

[2] Ringe, Donald (2006), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎^[2], Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 269

[3] Hammershaimb, V. U. (1854), “Færøisk sproglære”, in Annaler for nordisk oldkyndighed og historie, Kjöbenhavn: Det Kongelige Nordiske oldskriftselskab, →OCLC, page 272:
Genstantisformen i flertallet er nu almindelig lig nævneformen af hankönsordene, ligesom i hunkonsordenes böjning, undtagen på Syderø, hvor den gamle endelse på a har holdt sig; her siger man da stedse: nf. drangar , gf.1 dranga, snigla, o. s. v. i alle hankönsord, både af den stærke og svage böjning.

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