Old English words from Proto-West Germanic
358 Old English words with Proto-West 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…
æcer
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *akr, from Proto-Germanic *akraz (“field”). The Proto-Germanic noun is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌰𐌺𐍂𐍃 (akrs), Old Norse akr, Old…
æfen
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *āban, a byform or derivative of *ābanþ. Ringe and Taylor count *āban- among the West Germanic words that are isolated etymologically; Old English extended…
æg
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aij, from Proto-Germanic *ajją (“egg”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm. The word is Old Norse egg, Old Saxon ei and Old High German ei, and Crimean…
æmete
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *āmaitijā. The West Germanic word is also Old High German āmeiza (whence German Ameise) and Middle Low German āmete. Holthausen, Orel and Köbler explain it…
æspe
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aspu, from Proto-Germanic *aspō (“aspen”). Its relatives are Old High German aspa and Old Norse espi. Outside Germanic the tree has related names in Baltic…
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…
ate
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aitā. Holthausen gives no etymology, and Etymonline calls the word of uncertain origin, perhaps connected with Old Norse eitill (“nodule”) as the name of a…
bær
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *baʀ, from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (“naked, visible”). The adjective is found in Old Norse berr, Old Frisian ber (in compounds such as berfōt "barefoot"), Old…
ban
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bain, from Proto-Germanic *bainą (“bone, leg”). The noun is shared by Old Frisian bēn, Old Saxon bēn, Old High German bein and Old Norse bein; in the…
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…
beatan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bautan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to beat”). Its nearest relatives are Old Norse bauta (“to beat”), Old High German bōzan and Middle High German bōzen…
bece
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bōkijā, a derivative of the word for the beech that appears as bōc. Wiktionary explains the Proto-West Germanic form as Proto-Germanic *bōkō with the suffix…
beginnan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan (“to start, begin”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- and *ginnaną (“to begin”), a verb not recorded without a prefix. The same compound is Old Frisian…
benc
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *banki, from Proto-Germanic *bankiz (“bench”). The same noun is Old Norse bekkr, Old Frisian bank or benk, Old Saxon bank and Old High German banc. Kroonen…
beo
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic *bijǭ (“bee”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”). Its Germanic cognates include Old High German bīa, Dutch bij and Old Norse…
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…
beon
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *beun, from Proto-Germanic *beuną (“to be, to become”). The same present stem is found in Old Saxon bium and Old High German bim (“I am”). Hogg and Fulk…
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…
berge
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *baʀi, from Proto-Germanic *bazją (“berry”). The word appears as Old Norse ber, Old Saxon beri and Old High German beri; Gothic has the form *basją with…
bi
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bī (“near, by, around, about”). Orel reconstructs Proto-Germanic *bi for Proto-Germanic, the source also of Gothic 𐌱𐌹 (bi, “by, about, over”), Old Frisian…
bicce
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bikkjā, from Proto-Germanic *bikjǭ (“bitch”). The only close cognate is Old Norse bikkja (“bitch”). Holthausen relates it to Sanskrit भग (bhága, “pudenda”)…
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…
bindan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from Proto-Germanic *bindaną (“to bind”). The strong verb is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 (bindan), Old Norse binda, Old…
bitan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bītan, from Proto-Germanic *bītaną (“to bite”). The strong verb is shared by all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌱𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (beitan), Old Norse bíta, Old…
blod
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *blōd, from Proto-Germanic *blōþą (“blood”). The noun is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌱𐌻𐍉𐌸 (blōþ), Old Norse blóð, Old Frisian blōd, Old Saxon blōd and Old High…
blowan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *blōan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *blōaną (“to bloom, flower”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to bloom, flower”). Old English alone keeps the…
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…
bodig
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bodag (“body, trunk”). The only cognate is Old High German botah (“corpse, trunk, body”), continued in Middle High German botech. Köbler sets up a…
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…
brad
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *braid, from Proto-Germanic *braidaz (“broad”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 (braiþs), Old Norse breiðr, Old Frisian brēd, Old Saxon brēd and Old High…
brægn
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic *bragną (“brain”). The word is found only in the Ingvaeonic languages: Old Frisian brein, Middle Low German bragen and Middle…
brand
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brand, from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“fire, firebrand, sword”). The Germanic noun is made from the verb *brinnaną (“to burn”), the source of beornan. Its…
brecan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”). The strong verb has cognates in Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan), Old Frisian breka, Old Saxon brekan and Old High…
breowan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *breuwan, from Proto-Germanic *brewwaną (“to brew”). The Proto-Germanic strong verb is continued in Old Norse brugga, Old Frisian briūwa, Old Saxon breuwan…
broc
1. The word for the brook is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brōk. Its West Germanic relatives mean marshy land: Middle Low German brōk (“wet pasture”), Dutch broek (“marsh”) and Old High German…
broþor
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brōþer, from Proto-Germanic *brōþēr (“brother”). The Proto-Germanic noun is continued in Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐍉𐌸𐌰𐍂 (broþar), Old Norse bróðir, Old Frisian brōther, Old…
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…
brun
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brūn, from Proto-Germanic *brūnaz (“brown”). The adjective is shared by the other old Germanic languages: Old Norse brúnn, Old Frisian brūn, Old High German…
bryd
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brūdi, from Proto-Germanic *brūdiz (“bride”). The noun is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌸𐍃 (brūþs), Old Norse brúðr, Old Frisian breid…
bugan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *beugan, from Proto-Germanic *beuganą (“to bend, bow”). The verb is found in Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽 (biugan), Old Saxon būgan and Old High German biogan, and the past…
byrþen
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *burþini, formed from Proto-Germanic *burþī (“burden”) with a suffix. Within Old English it can be analysed as byrd with the suffix -en. Hogg and Fulk put it…
bytlan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *buþlijan, a verb made to the noun *buþl (“house, dwelling”), the source of Old English botl, bold. Wiktionary compares Old Frisian belda (“to endow…
ceap
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kaup (“trade, purchase”), a noun made from the verb *kaupōn (“to buy, trade”). Its cognates are Old Frisian kāp, Old Saxon kōp and Old High German kouf, and…
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…
cennan
1. The word for “make known, declare” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kannijan, from Proto-Germanic *kannijaną, the causative of *kunnaną (“to know”), the verb behind cunnan. Its cognates are…
ceorfan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kerban, from Proto-Germanic *kerbaną (“to carve, cut”). The Proto-Germanic strong verb survives in Old Frisian kerva, Middle Dutch kerven and Middle High…
cild
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kilþ, from Proto-Germanic *kelþaz (“womb; fetus”). Orel sets up the Proto-Germanic noun on the Old English word alone and derives from it Gothic 𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹…
cirice
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kirikā, which is from Ancient Greek κυριακόν (kuriakón, “the Lord's (house)”), from κύριος (kúrios, “lord”). The same word is Old Saxon kirika, Old High…
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…
clæppan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *klappijan, related to *klappōn (“to clap”). Wiktionary explains the West Germanic verb as made with *-jan to *klapp (“a hit, clap”), ultimately…
claþ
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *klaiþ, from Proto-Germanic *klaiþą (“cloth”). Its cognates are Old Frisian klāth, Dutch kleed and Middle High German kleit. Kroonen holds that Old Norse…
cleofan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kleuban, from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną (“to split, to cleave”). The strong verb of the second class has cognates in Old Norse kljúfa (“to cleave, to…
climban
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *klimban, from Proto-Germanic *klimbaną (“to climb”). Seebold sets up the Germanic strong verb of the third class as ⟨*klemb-a-⟩; its nearest relatives are…
clott
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *klott (“lump”), from Proto-Germanic *kluttaz (“clod, lump, ball”). Orel's only cognate is Middle High German klotz (“lump”); he takes the ⟨tt⟩ from an…
col
1. The word for cool is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kōl, from Proto-Germanic *kōlaz (“cool”). Its nearest relatives are Middle Low German kōl and Old High German kuoli. Orel derives the…
corn
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *korn, from Proto-Germanic *kurną (“corn, grain”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm (“grain”). The noun is shared by all the old Germanic languages: Gothic…
cracian
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn. Holthausen puts beside it Dutch kraken and Old High German krahhōn, and connects it with ċearcian and ċiercian. Köbler derives it from a Germanic…