Old English words from Proto-Germanic
109 Old English words with Proto-Germanic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
a-
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic *uz-, through an earlier ar-. Its relatives are Gothic 𐌿𐍃- (us-), Old High German ar- (also ir- and ur-), modern German er-, Old…
agan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aigan, from Proto-Germanic *aiganą (“to possess, own”). The verb is common to the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (aigan), Old Norse eiga, Old Frisian…
an
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”). The Proto-Germanic numeral survives as Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (ains), Old Norse einn, Old Frisian ān, Old Saxon ēn and Old…
be-
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-, the unstressed form of the word that is the preposition bī (“by”). Orel gives the preposition as *bi, continued by Gothic 𐌱𐌹…
beodan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *beudan, from Proto-Germanic *beudaną (“to offer, bid”). The verb is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌱𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽 (anabiudan, “to command”), Old Norse bjóða (“to…
beran
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *beran, from Proto-Germanic *beraną (“to bear, carry, give birth”). The verb is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (bairan), Old Norse…
biddan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biddjan, from Proto-Germanic *bidjaną (“to ask, to pray”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bidjan), Old Norse biðja, Old Frisian bidda, Old Saxon biddian…
blowan
It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *blōaną (“to bloom, flower”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to bloom, flower”). Old English alone keeps the strong verb; the other West Germanic languages…
boc
1. The book is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bōk, from Proto-Germanic *bōks. The word is shared by the other Germanic languages: Old Frisian bōk, Old Saxon bōk (“book, writing tablet”), Old…
bord
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bord, from Proto-Germanic *burdą (“board, plank; table; edge; shield”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐍄𐌿𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳 (fotubaurd, “footstool”), Old Norse borð (“board…
botm
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *botm, from Proto-Germanic *butmaz (“ground”). The cognates are Old Frisian bodem, Old Saxon bodom, Old High German bodam and Old Norse botn (“bottom…
brucan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brūkan (“to enjoy, use”), from Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (“to make use of”). The strong verb is shared by Old Frisian brūka, Old Saxon brūkan and Old High…
ceapian
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kaupōn (“to buy”), from Proto-Germanic *kaupōną (“to buy, trade”). The Proto-Germanic verb is made on *kaupô (“merchant”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍀𐍉𐌽…
clæne
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *klainī, from Proto-Germanic *klainiz (“shining, fine, delicate”). The adjective is shared by Old Frisian klēne (“narrow, thin”), Old Saxon klēni (“slim…
cuman
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kweman, from Proto-Germanic *kwemaną (“to come”). The strong verb is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (qiman), Old Norse koma, Old…
cunnan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną (“to know (how), be able”). It is a preterite-present verb in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (kunnan)…
cynn
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kuni, from Proto-Germanic *kunją (“clan, kin”). The noun is shared by Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌹 (kuni, “clan, tribe”), Old Norse kyn, Old Frisian kin, Old Saxon kunni…
dæd
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dādi, from Proto-Germanic *dēdiz (“deed”). The noun is shared by Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃 (gadeþs), Old Norse dáð, Old Frisian dēde, Old Saxon dād and Old High German…
dæg
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dag, from Proto-Germanic *dagaz (“day”). The noun is common to the Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (dags), Old Norse dagr, Old Frisian dei, Old Saxon dag…
dæl
1. The noun “part” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *daili, from Proto-Germanic *dailiz (“part, share”). The same noun is found in Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻𐍃 (dails, “part, portion, share”), Old Frisian dēl…
dragan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dragan, from Proto-Germanic *draganą (“to draw, pull, carry”). The strong verb is shared by Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (dragan), Old Norse draga, Old Frisian draga (also…
eald
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz (“old, grown up”). The Proto-Germanic adjective is continued by Old Frisian ald, Old Saxon ald and Old High German alt…
eall
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *all, from Proto-Germanic *allaz (“all, whole”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐍃 (alls), Old Norse allr, Old Frisian al, Old Saxon al and Old High German al…
-ere
The suffix is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *-ārī, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz. Its West Germanic cognates are Old Frisian -ere, Old Saxon -eri and Old High German -āri. It is usually held to…
fæder
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *fader, from Proto-Germanic *fadēr (“father”), from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr (“father”). The word is common Germanic: Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌳𐌰𐍂 (fadar), Old Norse…
fæst
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *fast, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz (“fixed, firm”). The adjective is found in Old Norse fastr, Old Frisian fest, Old Saxon fast and Old High German festi…
fell
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *fell, from Proto-Germanic *fellą (“skin, hide”). The cognates are Old Norse fell beside fjall, Old Frisian fell, Old Saxon fel and Old High German fel…
feower
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr (“four”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 (fidwor), Old Norse fjórir, Old Frisian fiūwer, Old Saxon fiuwar and Old High…
fif
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *fimf, from Proto-Germanic *fimf (“five”). The Germanic cognates are Gothic 𐍆𐌹𐌼𐍆 (fimf), Old Norse fimm, Old Frisian fīf, Old Saxon fīf and Old High German…
folgian
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”). Orel reconstructs it as *fulʒēnan and lists Old Norse fylgja, Old Frisian folgia, Old Saxon folgon and…
ford
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *furdu, from Proto-Germanic *furduz (“ford”). The West Germanic relatives are Old Frisian forda, Old Saxon ford and Old High German furt. Kroonen, Orel and…
full
1. It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *full, from Proto-Germanic *fullaz (“full”). The adjective is shared by Gothic 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐍃 (fulls), Old Norse fullr, Old Frisian ful, Old Saxon ful and Old High…
fyr
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from Proto-Germanic *fōr (“fire”). The noun is shared by Old Norse fýrr, Old Frisian fiūr, Old Saxon fiur, Old Dutch fuir and Old High German fiur…
ge-
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-. The prefix is common to the Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-), Old Frisian je-, Old Saxon gi- and Old High German ga-…
geard
1. The noun “enclosure” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *gard, from Proto-Germanic *gardaz (“courtyard, enclosure”). It has cognates in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 (gards, “house, household, courtyard”), Old…
gelic
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *galīk, from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz (“alike, similar”), a compound of *ga- and *-līkaz. The adjective is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (galeiks), Old…
giefan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *geban, from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). The strong verb is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (giban), Old Norse gefa, Old…
growan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *grōan, from Proto-Germanic *grōaną (“to grow, become green”). The strong verb is shared with Old Norse gróa (“to grow, become green”) and Old Frisian grōwa…
hal
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hail, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, sound”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌻𐍃 (hails), Old Norse heill, Old Frisian hēl, Old Saxon hēl and Old High…
heafod
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *haubud, from Proto-Germanic *haubudą (“head”). The noun is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌸 (haubiþ), Old Norse hǫfuð, Old Frisian hāved, Old Saxon hōƀid and…
heah
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hauh, from Proto-Germanic *hauhaz (“high”). The adjective is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍃 (hauhs), Old Norse hár, Old Frisian hāch, Old Saxon hōh and Old…
healdan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *haldan, from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to watch, to look after”). The Proto-Germanic verb survives as Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽 (haldan, “to tend, to herd”), Old Norse…
helan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *helan, from Proto-Germanic *helaną (“to hide, conceal”). The strong verb is found across West Germanic: Old Frisian hela, Old Saxon helan and Old High…
heorte
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hertā, from Proto-Germanic *hertô (“heart”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍄𐍉 (hairtō), Old Norse hjarta, Old Frisian herte, Old Saxon herta and Old High…
hrif
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hrif, from Proto-Germanic *hrefaz (“body, belly”). Its cognates are Old Frisian href (“belly”) and Old High German href (“womb”), also written ref…
hrycg
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hrugi, from Proto-Germanic *hrugjaz (“ridge, back”). The Proto-Germanic noun survives as Old Norse hryggr, Old Frisian hreg, Old Saxon hruggi, Old Dutch…
hund
1. The noun “dog” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hund, from Proto-Germanic *hundaz (“dog”). It is shared by all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (hunds), Old Norse hundr, Old Frisian…
hwæþer
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hwaþar, from Proto-Germanic *hwaþeraz (“which of two”). The pronoun is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌸𐌰𐍂 (ƕaþar), Old Norse hvárr, Old…
ic
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ik, from Proto-Germanic *ik, the unstressed form of *ek, from Proto-Indo-European *eǵh₂óm. The other Germanic languages have Gothic 𐌹𐌺 (ik), Old Norse ek…
in
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *in, from Proto-Germanic *in. The preposition is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌹𐌽 (in), Old Norse í, Old Frisian in, Old Saxon in and Old High German in. It…
lagu
1. The word for the sea is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *lagu (“water, sea”), from Proto-Germanic *laguz. It is a u-stem noun shared with North Germanic and Old Saxon: Old Norse lǫgr (“sea…
land
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *land, from Proto-Germanic *landą (“land”). The noun is shared by all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌽𐌳 (land), Old Norse land, Old Frisian land, Old…
lang
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *lang, from Proto-Germanic *langaz (“long”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃 (laggs), Old Norse langr, Old Frisian long, Old Saxon lang and Old High German…
lecgan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *laggjan, from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną (“to lay, to put”). The Proto-Germanic verb is the causative of *ligjaną (“to lie”), which gave liċġan. It is found…
libban
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live”). The verb is shared by Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (liban), Old Norse lifa (“to live; to be left”), Old Frisian libba…
mæd
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mādu, from Proto-Germanic *mēdwō (“meadow”). Kroonen derives it, with Old Frisian mēde and Old Dutch māda (“pasture, meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European…
mæþ
1. The noun meaning measure is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *māþi, from Proto-Germanic *mēþiz (“measure”). Kroonen reconstructs it as Proto-Indo-European *méh₁-ti-, and Orel too derives it…
mann
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“person, man”). Kroonen sets up the Proto-Germanic noun as *mannan-, with the cognates Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna), Old Norse…
modor
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mōder, from Proto-Germanic *mōdēr (“mother”). The noun is shared by Old Norse móðir, Old Frisian mōder, Old Saxon mōdar, Old Dutch muoder and Old High…
na
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nai (“never”), a contraction of ne (“not”) and ā (“ever”). The vowel of the negative was lost before the following vowel. The same contraction is Old…