Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/lēwō

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

Borrowed from Latin leō (“lion”). Parallel borrowing with Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰 (laiwa, “lion”).

Noun

*lēwō m

lion

Inflection

Masculine an-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*lēwō
Genitive	lēwini, lēwan
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*lēwō	*lēwan
Accusative	*lēwan	*lēwan
Genitive	lēwini, lēwan	*lēwanō
Dative	lēwini, lēwan	*lēum
Instrumental	lēwini, lēwan	*lēum

Alternative reconstructions

*lewō

Descendants

Old Frisian: *lēwa, *lēu, *lāwa, *lāu
- North Frisian: lau, lööw
- Saterland Frisian: Leeuwe
- West Frisian: liuw
Old Saxon: *lewo, *lēwo, *lēo, *lāwo, *lāo
- Middle Low German: löuwe, lowe, lou, löe, louwe, lauwe, lewe, leuwe
  - German Low German:
    Low Prussian: Lau
    
    Plautdietsch: Leiw
    
    Westphalian:
    Sauerländisch: Loiwe, Loibe (Brilon), Löwe (Niedersfeld, Bestwig, Felbecke, Wenden), Löüwe (Attendorn, Drolshagen, Olpe)
    
    East Westphalian: Löwen (Lippe), Lȫwe (Ravensberg)
  - → Danish: løve
    - → Greenlandic: løveq
  - → Estonian: lõvi
  - → Faroese: leyva, løva
  - → Latgalian: ļovs
  - → Latvian: lauva
    - → Livonian: louv
  - → Norwegian:
    Norwegian Bokmål: løve
Old Dutch: lēwo
- Middle Dutch: lêwe
  - Dutch: leeuw
    - Afrikaans: leeu
    - Negerhollands: leeuw
    - → Papiamentu: leeuw (dated)
    - → Sranan Tongo: lew
  - Limburgish: lieëf, liew
  - West Flemish: lêeuw
Old High German: lewo, lēo
- Middle High German: lewe, lebe, löuwe
  - Alemannic German: Leew, Löi
  - Bavarian:
  - Central Franconian:
    Hunsrik: Leeb
    
    Luxembourgish: Léiw
  - East Central German:
    Upper Saxon German:
    
    Vilamovian: ływ
  - East Franconian:
  - German: Löwe
  - Rhine Franconian: Leeb
    Frankfurterisch: [leːp]
    
    Pennsylvania German: Leeb
  - Yiddish: לייב (leyb)
  - Kölsch: Löv [ɫœf]