Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ô
Proto-Germanic edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
Uncertain. Possibly a fossilised form of the Proto-Indo-European thematic ablative *-eh₂d, in which case it would reflect earlier *-ôt before word-final -t was lost.
Adverb edit
*-ô
- -ly. Creates adverbs of manner from adjectives.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
This suffix lost its function in some Middle West Germanic languages, where adverbs eventually became identical to the base adjectives they were formed from.
Etymology 2 edit
From Proto-Indo-European *-ō. Proto-Germanic masculine n-stems continue Proto-Indo-European amphikinetic n-stems, meaning the vowel grade in the root, the suffix, and the ending alternated throughout the paradigm. Stem ablaut was not preserved in any later Germanic language, but it is indirectly tangible through such pairs as English corn and German Kern (“seed”). Suffix ablaut is clearly visible in the paradigm below, by way of the *ô ~ *a ~ *i alternation.[1]
Alternative forms edit
Noun edit
*-ô m
- Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade form of the base.
Inflection edit
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | *-ô | *-aniz |
Vocative | *-ô | *-aniz |
Accusative | *-anų | *-anunz |
Genitive | *-iniz | *-anǫ̂ |
Dative | *-ini | *-ammaz |
Instrumental | *-inē | *-ammiz |