Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swalwǭ

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

Uncertain. Possibly related to Russian солове́й (solovéj, “nightingale”). Possibly related to Ancient Greek ἀλκυών (alkuṓn, “kingfisher”), in which case the corresponding PGmc reconstruction would be *swalhwǭ.

Kroonen compares *sūliz (“column, pillar”) and *sūljan- (“to insert a wedge-shaped piece into an incision”), explaining that the gannet and swallow were named for their wedge-shaped tails. In this case, the original form *suoHl-ueh₂- would have developed into *swalwǭ by Dybo's law.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswɑl.wɔ̃ː/

Noun

*swalwǭ f

1. swallow (bird)

Inflection

ōn-stemDeclension of *swalwǭ (ōn-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*swalwǭ	*swalwōniz
vocative	*swalwǭ	*swalwōniz
accusative	*swalwōnų	*swalwōnunz
genitive	*swalwōniz	*swalwōnǫ̂
dative	*swalwōni	*swalwōmaz
instrumental	*swalwōnē	*swalwōmiz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *swalwā
  • Old English: swealwe, swealewe
    • Middle English: swalwe, swalewe, swalowe, swhalow, sualow, swalow, swalue, swolwe, swaluwe, swalew, swalugh
      • English: swallow
      • Scots: swalla, swallae
  • Old Frisian: swale
    • North Frisian: swaal, swul, swol
    • ⇒ Saterland Frisian: Swoalke, Swoolke
    • West Frisian: swel
  • Old Saxon: swala
    • Middle Low German: swale
      • Dutch Low Saxon: swaalfe
      • German Low German: Schwaale
  • Old Dutch: *swalwa, *swalawa
    • Middle Dutch: swalwe, swalewe
      • Dutch: zwaluw, zwalf, zwavel, zwalver, zwalm (dialectal)
        • Afrikaans: swael
  • Old High German: swalawa
    • Middle High German: swalwe
      • Alemannic German: Schwalme

        Swabian: Schwaba

      • Central Franconian: Schwalleb, Schwallef, Schmallef, Schmollef, Schmorbel, Schmärbel, Schmälwer, Schwalwer, Schwalfter, Schwarbel, Schwawel, Schwaal
        • Hunsrik: Schwalleb
        • Luxembourgish: Schmuewel, Schmuebel, Schmuelef
      • German: Schwalbe
        • → Dutch: schwalbe
        • → Silesian: šwalbkowate (compounded with native word)
      • Vilamovian: śwojmła
• Old Norse: svala
  • Icelandic: svala
  • Faroese: svala
  • Norwegian: svale
  • Old Swedish: svala
    • Swedish: svala
  • Old Danish: swalæ, swolæ
    • Danish: svale, sole
  • Elfdalian: såla
  • Gutnish: svale
  • Scanian: svala
• → Proto-Samic: *svālfō
  • Northern Sami: spálfu