Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/snakō

This Proto-West 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-West Germanic

Etymology

From *snakan (“to creep, crawl”) +‎ *-ō (agent suffix). Alternatively from an original Proto-Germanic *snēgô ~ *snakkaz paradigm, making *snākō a parallel formation.

Noun

*snakō f

1. that which creeps, crawls
2. snake

   Synonyms: *linþ, *nadrā, *slangō, *wurmi

3. worm, maggot

   Synonyms: *buʀdō, *maþō, *wurmi

Inflection

Masculine an-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*snakō
Genitive	*snakini, *snakan
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*snakō	*snakan
Accusative	*snakan	*snakan
Genitive	*snakini, *snakan	*snakanō
Dative	*snakini, *snakan	*snakum
Instrumental	*snakini, *snakan	*snakum

Descendants

• Old English: snaca
  • Middle English: snake, snak; snaca
    • English: snake (see there for further descendants)
    • Scots: snake
• Old Frisian: *snake
  • >? Saterland Frisian: Snoake (“tall, thin woman”)
  • West Frisian: snaak
• Old Saxon: *snako
  • Middle Low German: snake, snāke
    • German Low German: Snake, Snaak
    • Low German: snaak
    • → Polabian: snok (“blindworm”)
• Old Dutch: *snako
  • Middle Dutch: snake
    • Dutch: snaak
    • West Flemish: snake
• Old High German: *snako
  • Middle High German: snake
    • German: Schnake