afgot

Old Dutch

Etymology

From af (“away from”) +‎ got (“god”), from Proto-West Germanic *ab and Proto-West Germanic *god respectively. Possibly a calque of Gothic 𐌰𐍆𐌲𐌿𐌸𐍃 (afguþs). Compare Old High German abgot, Old Frisian afgod.

Noun

afgot m or n

1. (religion, derogatory) idol; false or pagan deity
   • Rhinelandic Rhyming Bible, early 12th century;

     Thice gescach inther zît, thaz begunde thie cristenheit von ther heithener thiet, thie noch thie afgot beget.

     This happened in the time that Christianity arose from the pagan folk that still worships the false deities.

Inflection

Declension of afgot

	Singular	Plural
nominative	afgot	afgot
accusative	afgot	afgot
genitive	afgodes, -is	afgodo
dative	afgode, -i	afgodon

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: afgot, afgod, avegot
  • Dutch: afgod
    • Negerhollands: afgod

References

• “afgot”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012