Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hwītaz

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

Kroonen notes a possible derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytōr, genitive *ḱwitnós, a heteroclitic byform of *ḱweytos (“bright; shine”). The oblique stem, used to form *ḱwitnós would create a voiceless geminate stop tt assuming Kluge's law, which would be reduced to a single t after the heavy first syllable once the consonantism was analogically extended to other cases. Compare Proto-Slavic *světъ (“light; world”), Sanskrit श्वेत (śvetá, “white, bright”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxʷiː.tɑz/

Adjective

*hwītaz

1. white

   Synonyms: *blaikaz, *blankaz

Inflection

Declension of *hwītaz (a-stem)

Strong declension
	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*hwītaz	*hwītō	*hwītą, -atō		*hwītai	*hwītôz	*hwītō
accusative	*hwītanǭ	*hwītǭ	*hwītą, -atō		*hwītanz	*hwītōz	*hwītō
genitive	*hwītas, -is	*hwītaizōz	*hwītas, -is		*hwītaizǫ̂	*hwītaizǫ̂	*hwītaizǫ̂
dative	*hwītammai	*hwītaizōi	*hwītammai		*hwītaimaz	*hwītaimaz	*hwītaimaz
instrumental	*hwītanō	*hwītaizō	*hwītanō		*hwītaimiz	*hwītaimiz	*hwītaimiz
Weak declension
	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*hwītô	*hwītǭ	*hwītô		*hwītaniz	*hwītōniz	*hwītōnō
accusative	*hwītanų	*hwītōnų	*hwītô		*hwītanunz	*hwītōnunz	*hwītōnō
genitive	*hwītiniz	*hwītōniz	*hwītiniz		*hwītanǫ̂	*hwītōnǫ̂	*hwītanǫ̂
dative	*hwītini	*hwītōni	*hwītini		*hwītammaz	*hwītōmaz	*hwītammaz
instrumental	*hwītinē	*hwītōnē	*hwītinē		*hwītammiz	*hwītōmiz	*hwītammiz

Derived terms

• *snaiwahwītaz
• *hwītijaną
• *hwītį̄

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *hwīt
  • Old English: hwīt
    • Middle English: whit, hwit, white, whyte, whitt, whytt, whyt, whiȝt, qwyght, ȝwijt, wyghte, whiyt, whijt
      • English: white (see there for further descendants)
      • Scots: quhite, fyte, fite, whyte, white
      • Yola: whit
  • Old Frisian: hwīt, wīt
    • North Frisian: wit, witj
    • Saterland Frisian: wiet
    • West Frisian: wyt
  • Old Saxon: hwīt
    • Middle Low German: wit
      • Low German: witt
        • German Low German: witt
      • Plautdietsch: witt
  • Old Dutch: wit
    • Middle Dutch: wit
      • Dutch: wit
        • Afrikaans: wit
      • Limburgish: wiet
  • Old High German: wīȥ
    • Middle High German: wīȥ
      • Alemannic German: wiiss

        Italian Walser: wiss, wéiss

      • Bavarian:

        Cimbrian: baiz, baizz, bais

        Mòcheno: bais

        Udinese: bais, baiss

      • Central Franconian: wieß

        Kirchröadsj Ripuarian: wies

      • German: weiß
      • Luxembourgish: wäiss
      • Rhine Franconian:

        Pennsylvania German: weiss

      • Vilamovian: wȧjs
      • Yiddish: ווײַס (vays)
• Old Norse: hvítr
  • Icelandic: hvítur
  • Faroese: hvítur
  • Norn: hvid
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kvit, (dialectal) kvit’u, kvit’e
    • → Norwegian Bokmål: kvit
  • Elfdalian: wait
  • Old Swedish: hvīter
    • Swedish: vit, hvit (pre-1906 spelling)
  • Danish: hvid
    • Norwegian Bokmål: hvit
  • Old Gutnish: huit
    • Gutnish: veitar, veita, veit
• Gothic: 𐍈𐌴𐌹𐍄𐍃 (ƕeits)
• ⇒ Crimean Gothic: wichtgata

See also

Colors in Proto-Germanic · *farwôz (layout · text)

*blaikaz, *blankaz, *hwītaz, *blasaz	*falwaz, *grēwaz, *haswaz, *grīsaz, *hairaz	*blakaz, *swartaz
*raudaz	*brūnaz, *erpaz, *dusnaz	*gelwaz, *gulaz
*grōniz	*grōniz
	*blēwaz	*blēwaz, *hēwijaz
*blēwaz, *hēwijaz	*baswaz