Old English words from Proto-West Germanic
444 Old English words with Proto-West Germanic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages (page 5).
macian
It is usually held to be inherited from Proto-West Germanic *makōn, though a borrowing from Old Saxon makōn has been suggested; the Middle English Dictionary too asks whether it is from Old Saxon…
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…
mægden
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *magadīn (“young girl”), a diminutive in *-īną of *magaþ (“maiden”). The same diminutive is Old High German magatīn (“girl, young bride”) and Old Frisian…
mæl
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *māl, from Proto-Germanic *mēlą (“time, occasion”). The noun is found across Germanic: Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌻 (mēl, “season, point in time”), Old Norse mál, Old High…
mænan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to think, mean”). The verb is shared by Old Frisian mēna, Old Saxon mēnian and Old High German meinen. Kroonen…
mæst
1. The word for the ship's mast is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mast, from Proto-Germanic *mastaz (“pole, mast”). It has cognates in Old Saxon mast (“mast, pole”), Dutch mast and Old High…
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…
manig
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *manag, from Proto-Germanic *managaz (“many”). The adjective is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐍃 (manags), Old Norse margr (with assimilation, beside late…
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…
mara
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *maizō, from Proto-Germanic *maizô (“bigger, more”). The Proto-Germanic comparative is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌶𐌰 (maiza), Old…
mawan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *māan, from Proto-Germanic *mēaną (“to mow”). The strong verb survives in Old Frisian miā, Old High German māen and Dutch maaien. Kroonen derives it from…
mearc
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *marku, from Proto-Germanic *markō (“boundary, region”). The word is in every old Germanic language: Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌺𐌰 (marka, “border, region”), Old Norse mǫrk…
mere
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mari, from Proto-Germanic *mari (“lake, sea”). The Proto-Germanic noun survives in Old Norse marr (“sea”), Old High German meri (“sea, lake”), Old Frisian…
mersc
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *marisk (“marshy; marsh”), a formation in *-isk on Proto-Germanic *mari (“sea, lake”). Köbler sets up a feminine *mariskō (“marsh, morass”) and refers the…
mete
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mati, from Proto-Germanic *matiz (“food”), an old i-stem. The Proto-Germanic noun is continued in Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐍃 (mats), Old Norse matr, Old Frisian mete, Old…
micel
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mikil, from Proto-Germanic *mikilaz (“great, large”). The adjective is found in Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils), Old Norse mikill, Old Saxon mikil and Old High…
mid
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *midi, from Proto-Germanic *midi (“with”). The preposition is shared by the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌸 (miþ), Old Norse með, Old Frisian mith, Old…
midd
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *midi, from Proto-Germanic *midjaz (“middle”). The adjective is found in Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌹𐍃 (midjis), Old Norse miðr, Old Frisian midde, Old Saxon middi and Old…
min
1. The word for “my” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mīn, from Proto-Germanic *mīnaz (“my”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (meins), Old Norse mínn, Old Frisian mīn, Old Saxon mīn and Old High…
mis-
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *missa-, from Proto-Germanic *missa- (“mis-, badly, wrongly”). The prefix is shared by the other Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍃𐌰- (missa-), Old Norse mis-…
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…
monaþ
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mānōþ, from Proto-Germanic *mēnōþs (“month”). The word is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌽𐍉𐌸𐍃 (mēnōþs), Old Norse mánaðr, Old Frisian…
morgen
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *morgan, from Proto-Germanic *murginaz (“morning”); the Old English variant merġen continues the variant *morgin with another vowel in the second syllable…
mos
1. The word for bog and moss is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mos, from Proto-Germanic *musą (“moss, bog”). Its relatives are Old Norse mosi (“moss; bog”), Old High German mos (“moss; swamp”)…
mot
1. The word for a meeting is inherited from Proto-Germanic *mōtą (“meeting”). Orel, who writes it *mōtan, gives Old Norse mót (“meeting”), Old Saxon mōt and Middle High German muoz (“single…
muþ
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *munþ, from Proto-Germanic *munþaz (“mouth”). The Proto-Germanic noun is continued in Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌸𐍃 (munþs), Old Norse munnr beside muðr, Old Frisian mūth…
mycg
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *muggju, from Proto-Germanic *mugjō (“midge, gnat”). Orel sets it beside Old Saxon muggia and Old High German mugga, with a word for “mosquito” in Old…
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…
nacod
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nak(k)wad, from Proto-Germanic *nakwadaz (“naked”). The Proto-Germanic adjective lives on in Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐌵𐌰𐌸𐍃 (naqaþs), Old Norse nǫkkviðr, Old Frisian naked…
nama
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *namō, from Proto-Germanic *namô (“name”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ (“name”). The Germanic cognates are Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐌼𐍉 (namō), Old Norse nafn, Old…
nan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nain, from Proto-Germanic *nainaz (“none”), made of Proto-Germanic *ne (“not”) and Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”). In Old English it is still the negative ne…
nawiht
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht (“nothing”), made of *naiw (“never”) and *wiht (“thing”), the latter from Proto-Germanic *wihtą. In Old English terms it is nā “not, never” with…
neah
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw (“near”), an adverb made from the adjective *nēhwaz (“near”). Related forms are Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰 (nēhwa), the Old Norse prefix…
nebb
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nabi, from Proto-Germanic *nabją (“beak, nose”). The noun has cognates in Old Norse nef (“nose, bill”), Middle Low German nebbe and Middle Dutch nebbe…
-nes
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *-nassī. Ringe and Taylor explain the Germanic abstract nouns in Proto-Germanic *-assuz as first made from verbs in *-atjaną (as *ebnassus (“levelling…
nest
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nest, from Proto-Germanic *nestą. Kroonen and Orel set up the Proto-Germanic form with /i/, Proto-Germanic *nista-, continued also by Old High German nest…
nigon
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nigun, from Proto-Germanic *newun (“nine”). The numeral appears as Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌽 (niun), Old Norse níu, Old Frisian nigun, Old Saxon nigun and Old High German…
niht
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nahti, an inflected form of *naht, from Proto-Germanic *nahts (“night”). The Proto-Germanic noun survives in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃…
niman
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *neman, from Proto-Germanic *nemaną (“to take”). The strong verb is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (niman), Old Norse nema, Old…
norþ
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *norþr, from Proto-Germanic *nurþrą (“north, northern”). Orel reconstructs the Germanic word as *nurþaz and Köbler as *nurþa- or *nurþra-. Its cognates are…
nosu
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nosu, which Wiktionary takes to be related to Proto-Germanic *nasō (“nose”), from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂s (“nose”). Köbler sets up the same…
nu
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nū, from Proto-Germanic *nu (“now”). The adverb is common to the Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌽𐌿 (nu), Old Norse nú, Old Frisian nū, Old Saxon nū and Old High…
ofer
1. The word for “over” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *obar, from Proto-Germanic *uber (“over, above”), from Proto-Indo-European *upér, a comparative form of *upo. Its cognates are Gothic…
on
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ana, from Proto-Germanic *ana (“on, at”). The Proto-Germanic word is continued by Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰 (ana), Old Norse á, Old Frisian a, Old Saxon an and Old High…
open
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *opan, from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”). The Proto-Germanic adjective survives as Old Norse opinn, Old Frisian open or epen, Old Saxon opan and Old High…
ordal
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *uʀdailī (“something meted out, allotment”), a noun made to *uʀdailijan (“to mete out”). Within Old English it is made up of or- and dāl (“part, portion”)…
oþer
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *anþar, from Proto-Germanic *anþeraz (“the other of two, second”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌸𐌰𐍂 (anþar), Old Norse annarr, Old Frisian ōther, Old Saxon…
oþþe
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *eþþō, from Proto-Germanic *ehþau (“or”) in the derivation that Ringe and Taylor give with a query, and point to Old High German eddo and Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌿…
rad
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *raidu, from Proto-Germanic *raidō (“ride, journey”), an o-grade noun formed to the verb *rīdaną (“to ride”), the source of rīdan. The noun is found in Old…
ræcan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną (“to stretch out, reach”). The verb is shared with Old Frisian rēka, Middle Low German rēken and Old High German…
ræd
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rād, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaz (“advice, counsel”). The noun has exact counterparts in Old Frisian rēd, Old Saxon rād, Old High German rāt and Old Norse…
rædan
The verb continues a strong verb “to advise” and a weak verb “to make ready”, which fell together in the present. The strong verb is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rādan, from Proto-Germanic…
read
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *raud, from Proto-Germanic *raudaz (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rowdʰós. Its Germanic cognates are Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌸𐍃 (rauþs), Old Norse rauðr, Old Frisian…
reafian
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *raubōn, from Proto-Germanic *raubōną (“to rob”). It is a weak verb of the second class made to the noun rēaf (“plunder, spoil; garment”). Kroonen derives…
reofan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *reufan, from Proto-Germanic *reufaną (“to tear”). Its nearest relative outside West Germanic is Old Norse rjúfa (“to break, rip up”). Orel relates the verb…
rice
1. The word for kingdom is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rīkī (“kingdom, realm”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją (“rule, realm”). The noun is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹…
ridan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rīdan, from Proto-Germanic *rīdaną (“to ride”). The strong verb is found across Germanic: Old Norse ríða, Old Frisian rīda, Old Saxon rīdan and Old High…
riht
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *reht (“right, straight”), from Proto-Germanic *rehtaz (“straight”). The adjective is common to the Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (raihts), Old Norse…
rowan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rōan, from Proto-Germanic *rōaną (“to row”). The verb is shared with Old Norse róa, Middle Dutch roeyen (now Dutch roeien) and Middle High German rüejen…
rum
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rūm, from Proto-Germanic *rūmaz (“roomy, spacious”); the noun beside it continues the neuter *rūmą (“room, space”). The adjective is shared with Gothic 𐍂𐌿𐌼𐍃…