Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/mēþwō

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

Alternative forms

• *madwō

Etymology

From Pre-Germanic *h₂méh₁tuh₂, *h₂mh₁twéh₂-, the latter giving *madwō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- (“to mow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛːθ.wɔː/

Noun

*mēþwō f

1. meadow, pasture

Inflection

The original paradigm alternated *mēþw- against oblique *madw-.

ō-stemDeclension of *mēþwō (ō-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*mēþwō	*mēþwôz
vocative	*mēþwō	*mēþwôz
accusative	*mēþwǭ	*mēþwōz
genitive	*mēþwōz	*mēþwǫ̂
dative	*mēþwōi	*mēþwōmaz
instrumental	*mēþwō	*mēþwōmiz

Related terms

• *mēaną
• *mēþą

Descendants

Anglo-Frisian shows the vowel of the nominative with the voiced Verner alternant consonant from the oblique.

• Old English: mǣd
  • Middle English: mede, medwe
    • English: mead, meadow
    • Scots: meeda
    • Yola: mead
• Old Frisian: mēde
• Old Dutch: māda
  • Middle Dutch: made
    • Dutch: made

References

• Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN