Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/jabą

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

Alternative forms

  • *ibą

Etymology

Extended form of either *ja (“yes”), or from Proto-Indo-European *Hyós (“already, that [demonstrative/relative pronoun]”), assuming they're seperate terms etymologically, which they may not be (see *jainaz for more details on this). The meanings were probably a figurative expansion of "that which is of importance or an issue."

Since terms derived from Proto-Indo-European *Hyós largely have fixed stress on the first syllable, a -bʰ- extension undergoing Grimm's law (*Hyó-bʰ-om > *yóbon > *jabą) is a more likely explanation for a potential Pre-Germanic explanation of medial -b- than a -p- extension undergoing Verner's law, as that change that only happens in unstressed syllables (*Hyo-p-óm > *yópon > *jafą́ > *jabą).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈjɑ.βɑ̃/

Noun

*jabą n

  1. doubt, stipulation, hesitation, condition

Inflection

Declension of *jabą (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *jabą *jabō
vocative *jabą *jabō
accusative *jabą *jabō
genitive *jabas, *jabis *jabǫ̂
dative *jabai *jabamaz
instrumental *jabō *jabamiz

Descendants

The phonemic distinction between the dative *jabai (now also used for the meaning of "if", expanded from the figurative meaning of "on the condition") has largely been lost, even the core meaning of "doubt" is still present in the descendants listed.

  • Old Norse: ef, if, efi, ifi
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