Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/skipą

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 edit

Etymology edit

Uncertain etymology.

One theory derives it from Proto-Indo-European *skēi-b-, *ski-b-. Compare Lithuanian skiẽbti (to rip up), Latvian škibît (to cut, lop). (Proto-Germanic *skapjaną has been considered related as well, but the phonetics pose difficulties.) The original meaning inherited from Proto-Indo-European was likely “hollowed tree”, and all daughter languages agree in the meaning 'ship', thus the specified meaning “ship” is assumed for Proto-Germanic, however the Old High German word also had the meaning “hollow object”, so the Proto-Germanic word could also have been used in a more generic fashion. Moreover, one meaning does not have to exclude the other by rule. Cf. Latin vās (hollow object), source of French vaisseau (vessel).

Kroonen instead claims that this word would rather be a loanword from Latin scyphus (drinking vessel).[1]

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

*skipą n

  1. ship
    Synonyms: *baitaz, *keulaz

Inflection edit

neuter a-stemDeclension of *skipą (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *skipą *skipō
vocative *skipą *skipō
accusative *skipą *skipō
genitive *skipas, *skipis *skipǫ̂
dative *skipai *skipamaz
instrumental *skipō *skipamiz

Related terms edit

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

References edit

  1. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*skipa-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 446