Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/farn

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

Etymonline's sources (such as Watkins) derive this word from Proto-Indo-European *pornóm (“feather”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to traverse; go across”). However, Kroonen instead reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *p(t)erH-, a root whose morphology is subject to heated debate. See there for more.

In any case, cognate to Latvian papartis, Proto-Celtic *ɸratis, Sanskrit पर्ण (parṇa), and Proto-Slavic *paportь.

Noun

*farn m or n

1. fern

Inflection

Masculine a-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*farn
Genitive	*farnas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*farn	*farnō, *farnōs
Accusative	*farn	*farnā
Genitive	*farnas	*farnō
Dative	*farnē	*farnum
Instrumental	*farnu	*farnum

Neuter a-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*farn
Genitive	*farnas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*farn	*farnu
Accusative	*farn	*farnu
Genitive	*farnas	*farnō
Dative	*farnē	*farnum
Instrumental	*farnu	*farnum

Descendants

• Old English: fearn
  • Middle English: fern, vern, fearn, farn, varn, firn
    • English: fern
    • Scots: farne, fairn
    • Yola: vearne, fearn
• Old Frisian: *farn
  • Saterland Frisian: Foone
  • West Frisian: fear
• Old Saxon: farn
  • Middle Low German: varn, varne, varen
    • German Low German: Farn
• Old Dutch: farn
  • Middle Dutch: varen
    • Dutch: varen, varem
      • Afrikaans: varing
• Old High German: farn, faran, faram
  • Middle High German: varn, varm, farn, farm
    • German: Farn, Farm
    • Luxembourgish: Far