Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/winidaz

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

• *winiþaz

Etymology

From the name of the “Vistula Veneti” or “Baltic Veneti”, one of at least three ancient tribal groupings going by the name *Wenet-. What kind of tribe this was is unknown. It may have been Proto-Balto-Slavic. Another theory postulates that it was Germanic and its name came to be assigned to the Slavs who repopulated their territory during the Migration Period. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to love, desire”). Compare Proto-Germanic *winiz (“friend”) and Latin Venetī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwi.ni.ðɑz/

Noun

*winidaz m

1. (early) a member of the “Baltic Veneti” (tribe of unknown affiliation)
2. (later) an eastern foreigner, a Slav, Wend

   Coordinate term: *walhaz

Inflection

Declension of *winidaz (masculine a-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	*winidaz	*winidōz, *winidōs
vocative	*winid	*winidōz, *winidōs
accusative	*winidą	*winidanz
genitive	*winidas, *winidis	*winidǫ̂
dative	*winidai	*winidamaz
instrumental	*winidō	*winidamiz

Derived terms

• *winidiskaz

Descendants

Old Saxon and Old High German reflect *Winiþ-. This might mean that the word originally had a stress shift in its paradigm (pre-Germanic *Wen-ét-/*Wen-et-é-).

• Proto-West Germanic: *winid, *winiþ
  • Old English: Wined
  • Old Saxon: Winoth
    • Middle Low German: Wēnt, Went
      • → German: Wende
        • → English: Wend
  • Old High German: winid
    • Middle High German: wint, winde
      • German: Winde (restricted to the sense “Slovene”)
• Old Norse: vindr
  • Icelandic: Vindur
• → Proto-Finnic: *venät
  • Estonian: vene
  • ⇒ Finnish: Venäjä