Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hallą

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kHlnom (“encrustation, hardening”).

Noun

*hallą n

1. that which is dried up
2. dearth, scarcity, lack

Inflection

Declension of *hallą (a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*hallą	*hallō
Vocative	*hallą	*hallō
Accusative	*hallą	*hallō
Genitive	*hallas, -is	*hallǫ̂
Dative	*hallai	*hallamaz
Instrumental	*hallō	*hallamiz

Related terms

• *hallaz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *hall
  • Old High German: *hall (“brine? saltworks?”)
    • Middle High German: hal n (“salt spring, saltworks”)
      • German: Hall n (“saltworks”)
    • ⇒ Old High German: hallhūs, halhūs (“salt house, salt pit”)
      • Middle High German: *hallhūs
        • Swabian: Hallhaus
    • ⇒ Old High German: hallsalz, halasalz
    • ⇒? German: Hallstatt
  • ⇒? Proto-West Germanic: *hallu
    • Old Saxon: *halla
      • Middle Low German: halle (“location where salt wells and pits are found”)
        • German Low German: Halle (“Saale”, placename)
    • Old High German: *halla
      • Middle High German: halle (“salt preparation and/or storage area”) (perhaps a borrowing from Middle Low German ?)
• Old Norse: hall
  • Faroese: hall (“deficit, deficiency, want”)
  • ⇒ Old Norse: *halli m
    • Icelandic: halli (“deficit, loss”)
    • Faroese: halli (“deficit, deficiency”)

Further reading

• David Stifter (2005) “Hallstatt – In eisenzeitlicher Tradition?”, in Interpretierte Eisenzeiten. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeitrage der 1. Linzer Gesprache zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchaologie‎^[1] (in German), Linz, pages 229–240