Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/elm

This Proto-West 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-West Germanic

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *elmaz ~ *ilmis, *ulmis. Alternative form *olm derives from the zero-grade, and/or from Latin cognate ulmus (“elm”).

Noun

*elm m

1. elm tree
2. wood from an elm tree

Declension

Masculine a-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*elm
Genitive	*elmas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*elm	*elmō, *elmōs
Accusative	*elm	*elmā
Genitive	*elmas	*elmō
Dative	*elmē	*elmum
Instrumental	*elmu	*elmum

Alternative reconstructions

• *alm, *ulm, *olm

Descendants

• Old English: elm, *ulm m
  • Middle English: elm, alme, elme, helm, ulme
    • English: elm (dialectal ellum)
    • Scots: elm
  • ⇒ Old English: ulmtrēow
    • Middle English: ulm tree, elme-tre, elmetree
      • English: elmtree
• Old Saxon: elm, alm m (alm in placenames)
  • Middle Low German: elme, elm, olm m
    • Low German: Elm, Ölm, Ilm, Ülm
• Old Dutch: *olm m, alma f, alme-, elme-, helme- (in placenames)
  • Middle Dutch: olm, *alm m, olme f (conflated with Old French olme?)
    • Dutch: olm, alm m
• Old High German: elm, ilme, elmo m
  • Middle High German: ëlm, ëlme, elmene, ilm, ilme, ilmene f
    • Alemannic German: Elme, Ilme, Olme
    • ⇒ Middle High German: ilmboum, ilmpoum
• >? Old High German: ulm m (native or borrowed from Latin ulmus?)
  • Middle High German: ulme f (new borrowing from Latin, or back-formation from ulmboum and influenced by Latin?)
    • German: Ulme f
  • ⇒ Old High German: ulmboum
    • Middle High German: ulmboum, ulmpoum