Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wai

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

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Etymology

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From Proto-Indo-European *wáy. Compare Latin vae, Lithuanian vaĩ, vái, Russian увы́ (uvý, alas), Middle Irish fáe, Welsh gwae (woe), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬫𐬋𐬌 (vayōi), Sanskrit उवे (uvé), Persian وای (vây).

Pronunciation

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Interjection

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*wai

  1. woe! alas! (expression of grief or anguish)
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Descendants

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Note: In most descendant languages this interjection becomes additionally used as a noun with the meaning “hurt, anguish”.

References

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  • Martin Findell Phonological Evidence from the Continental Runic Inscriptions (2012), citing Schneider (1980) (reconstructs *wai and notes the Gothic, ON, OE, OS and OHG descendants)