Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ǭ

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

Partial merger of Proto-Indo-European *-ō(n) and Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ (see also *-ō). The former originally conjugated as Proto-Indo-European amphikinetic n-stems, but because of the *ā > *ō sound change they came to coincide with the latter in the nominative singular, which lead to the suffix ablaut being lost. Why the feminine and masculine *-ō(n) sounded differently in Germanic though, despite having originally sounded the same, is an open question.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ̃ː/

Alternative forms

• *-ōn

Noun

*-ǭ f

2. -ess. Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade form of the base.

Inflection

ōn-stemDeclension of *-ǭ (ōn-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*-ǭ	*-ōniz
vocative	*-ǭ	*-ōniz
accusative	*-ōnų	*-ōnunz
genitive	*-ōniz	*-ōnǫ̂
dative	*-ōni	*-ōmaz
instrumental	*-ōnē	*-ōmiz

Coordinate terms

• *-ô m (“-er”)

Derived terms

Proto-Germanic terms suffixed with *-ǭ

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *-ā
  • Old English: -e
  • Old Frisian: -e
  • Old Saxon: -a
  • Old Dutch: -a
  • Old High German: -a
• Old Norse: -a
  • Icelandic: -a
  • Old Swedish: -a
    • Swedish: -a
• Gothic: -𐍉 (-ō)