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 7).
stif
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stīf, from Proto-Germanic *stīfaz (“stiff, rigid”). The adjective is shared with Old Frisian stīf (“resolute”), Middle Low German stīf and Middle High…
stig
1. The word for the path is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stīgu, from Proto-Germanic *stīgō, a noun made to *stīganą (“to climb”), the source of Old English stīgan. Wiktionary gives Middle…
stincan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stinkwan, from Proto-Germanic *stinkwaną (“to thrust, clash; to stink”). The West Germanic languages have the verb with the sense of smell, as Old Saxon…
stingan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stingan, from Proto-Germanic *stinganą (“to stick out, to sting”). Orel sets up the Proto-Germanic verb as *stenʒanan, continued by Old Norse stinga (“to…
stocc
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stokk, from Proto-Germanic *stukkaz (“stick, trunk”). The Proto-Germanic noun is continued in Old Norse stokkr, Old Frisian stok, Old Saxon stokk and Old…
storm
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sturm, from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz (“storm”). The noun is shared by Old Norse stormr, Old Saxon storm and Old High German sturm. Orel derives it from the…
stow
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stōu, from Proto-Germanic *stōō (“place; judgement”). The Proto-Germanic noun is continued in Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌰 (staua, “judgement”), Old Norse eldstó…
streccan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch out”), a verb in *-jan made to the adjective *strak (“stretched, straight”). Orel sets up the verb as Proto-Germanic *strakkjanan and…
strican
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *strīkan, from Proto-Germanic *strīkaną (“to stroke, to rub”). The strong verb is shared by Old Frisian strīka, Dutch strijken, Middle Low German strīken and…
sucan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sūkan, from Proto-Germanic *sūkaną (“to suck”). Orel sets it beside Middle Dutch suken, the Middle Dutch verb, and relates it to Latin sūgō (“to suck”) and…
sum
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sum, from Proto-Germanic *sumaz (“some, someone”). The Proto-Germanic pronoun is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐍃 (sums), Old Norse…
sunu
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sunu, from Proto-Germanic *sunuz (“son”). The Proto-Germanic noun is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌿𐍃 (sunus), Old Norse sonr, Old…
suþ
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sunþ, beside *sunþr, from Proto-Germanic *sunþrą (“south”). Köbler sets up a Germanic adjective Proto-Germanic *sunþaz (“southward”), continued by Old Norse…
swa
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa (“so, thus”). The word is found in Old Norse svá, Old Frisian sā, Old Saxon sō and Old High German sō, and in Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌰 (swa)…
swapan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *swaipan, from Proto-Germanic *swaipaną (“to sweep; to swing; to wrap”). Old Saxon has the preterite forswēp (“drove out”). The verb is shared with Old High…
sweart
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *swart, from Proto-Germanic *swartaz (“black”). The adjective is shared by the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄𐍃 (swarts), Old Norse svartr, Old Frisian…
swellan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *swellan, from Proto-Germanic *swellaną (“to swell”). The strong verb is found in Old Norse svella, Old Frisian swella, Old Saxon swellan and Old High German…
swete
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *swōtī, from Proto-Germanic *swōtuz (“sweet”), from Proto-Indo-European *swéh₂dus (“sweet”). The adjective is found in Old Norse sœtr, Old Frisian swēte, Old…
synn
Wiktionary takes it as inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sunnju (“reality; trouble”), from Proto-Germanic *sunjō (“truth, reality”), whose sense was coloured by *sundī, from *sundī (“crime, sin”)…
tæcan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *taikijan, from Proto-Germanic *taikijaną (“to show”). Kroonen records the verb in Old English alone, and explains it as a formation made to the geminated…
tæppa
1. The word for the tap is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tappō, from Proto-Germanic *tappô (“plug, tap”). The noun has the cognates Old High German zapho (“plug, peg”), Old Norse tappi and…
tæsan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *taisijan, from Proto-Germanic *taisijaną (“to separate by plucking”), a derivative of Proto-Germanic *taisaną (“to tug, pull”). The strong verb survives in…
talu
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *talu, from Proto-Germanic *talō (“calculation, number, speech”). The Proto-Germanic noun is continued by Old Norse tala (“speech; number”), Old Frisian tele…
tear
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tahr, from Proto-Germanic *tahrą (“tear”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐍂 (tagr), Old Norse tár, Old Frisian tār and Old High German zahar; Old Saxon and Old…
tellan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *talljan, from Proto-Germanic *taljaną (“to count, to tell”). The verb has cognates in Old Norse telja, Old Frisian tella, Old Saxon tellian and Old High…
tid
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tīdi, from Proto-Germanic *tīdiz (“time”), from Proto-Indo-European *dih₂tís, a noun in *-tis made to the root *deh₂y- (“to divide”). Kroonen reconstructs…
-tig
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tigiwi, inherited from Proto-Germanic *tigiwiz (“decades, groups of ten”), the plural of Proto-Germanic *teguz (“group of ten”). The noun stands free in…
tima
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tīmō, from Proto-Germanic *tīmô (“time”). Outside English the Proto-Germanic noun lives on in Old Norse tími (“time”) and in a dialectal German zīme…
to
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tō, from Proto-Germanic *tō (“to”). The word is shared by the West Germanic languages: Old Frisian tō, Old Saxon tō and Old High German zuo. Beside it stand…
togian
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *togōn, from Proto-Germanic *tugōną (“to pull, tow”). The same verb is Old Norse toga, Old Frisian togia, Middle Low German togen and Old High German zogōn…
toþ
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tanþ, from Proto-Germanic *tanþs (“tooth”). The word is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐍃 (tunþus), Old Norse tǫnn, Old Frisian tōth…
tredan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tredan, from Proto-Germanic *trudaną (“to tread”). The West Germanic languages share the vowel ⟨e⟩: Old Frisian treda, Old Dutch tredan and Old High German…
treow
1. The tree is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *treu, from Proto-Germanic *trewą (“tree”). The Proto-Germanic neuter is continued by Gothic 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌿 (triu, “stick, piece of wood”), Old Norse tré…
triewe
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *triuwī, from Proto-Germanic *triwwiz (“true, faithful”). Kroonen writes the Proto-Germanic adjective as the u-stem *trewwu-, Orel and Ringe and Taylor as…
twegen
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *twai-, from Proto-Germanic *twai (“two”). Kroonen sets up the Proto-Germanic paradigm with this masculine beside feminine *twōz and neuter *tū, from…
un-
1. The negative prefix is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *un-, from Proto-Germanic *un-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-, the form the negative particle Proto-Indo-European *né (“not”) takes in…
under
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under (“under, among”). It has cognates in Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍂 (undar), Old Norse undir, Old Frisian under, Old Saxon undar and Old…
up
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *upp, from Proto-Germanic *upp (“up, upwards”). Orel heads the Germanic word *uppa, with Old Norse upp, Old Frisian up, Old Saxon upp and Old High German…
ure
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *unsar, from Proto-Germanic *unseraz (“our”). The Proto-Germanic possessive is continued in Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂 (unsar), Old Norse várr, Old Frisian ūse, Old Saxon…
ut
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ūt, from Proto-Germanic *ūt (“out”), from Proto-Indo-European *úd (“up, out”). The adverb is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌿𐍄 (ut), Old Norse út, Old Frisian ūt…
wa
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wai, from Proto-Germanic *wai (“woe”). The interjection is shared by Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai), Old Norse vei, Old Saxon wē and Old High German wē. Kroonen and…
wæccan
Wiktionary takes it as inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *wakjaną (“to awaken”), so that it is a doublet of weċċan “to wake someone”. That verb is shared by Gothic…
wæter
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *watar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr (“water”), from Proto-Indo-European *wédōr, the collective of Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ (“water”). The Germanic cognates…
wandrian
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wandarōn. Wiktionary takes the Proto-West Germanic verb from Proto-Germanic *wandarōn (“to waver, change, wander”), made with the frequentative suffix *-rōn…
wascan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *waskan, from Proto-Germanic *waskaną (“to wash”). The strong verb is shared with Old Saxon waskan (only the preterite wōsk is recorded) and Old High German…
we
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wiz. The pronoun is shared by all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weis), Old Norse vér, Old Frisian wī, Old Saxon wī and…
wealdan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *waldan, from Proto-Germanic *waldaną (“to rule”). The Proto-Germanic verb survives across the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽 (waldan), Old Norse…
wealwian
1. The verb meaning to roll or wallow is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *walwōn, a variant of *walwijan, from Proto-Germanic *walwijaną (“to roll”). Kroonen sets the weak verb *walwjan- beside…
weard
The masculine noun for “guardian, keeper” and the feminine noun for “watch, guarding” share one root. The masculine is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ward, from Proto-Germanic *wardaz…
weardian
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wardēn. Köbler gives the verb in Proto-Germanic as *wardēn or *wardōn (“to wait, guard, watch”), Orel as *warđōjanan. Its cognates are Old Saxon wardōn (“to…
weder
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wedr, from Proto-Germanic *wedrą (“wind, weather”). The noun is shared with Old Norse veðr, Old Frisian weder, Old Saxon wedar and Old High German wetar…
wefan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *weban, from Proto-Germanic *webaną (“to weave”). The strong verb is shared by Old Norse vefa, Old High German weban and Middle Low German weven. Kroonen…
weg
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *weg, from Proto-Germanic *wegaz (“way, road”). The noun is common Germanic: Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌲𐍃 (wigs), Old Norse vegr, Old Frisian wei, Old Saxon weg and Old High…
wegan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to convey, transport”). The strong verb is found in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽…
weorc
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *werk, from Proto-Germanic *werką (“work”). The noun is found in Old Norse verk, Old Frisian werk, Old Saxon werk and Old High German werah or werc. Kroonen…
weorþan
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *werþan, from Proto-Germanic *werþaną (“to become”). The strong verb is common Germanic: Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌽 (wairþan), Old Norse verða, Old Frisian wertha, Old…
wer
1. The word for “man” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wer, from Proto-Germanic *weraz (“man, husband”). It is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂 (wair), Old Norse verr, Old…
west
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *westr, from Proto-Germanic *westraz (“west, westward”). The adverb has cognates in Old Norse vestr (“westwards”), Old Saxon westar, Old Frisian wester and…
wicca
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wikkō (“necromancer, sorcerer”). Köbler sets up a Proto-Germanic *wikkō “magician” and connects it with Old Frisian and Middle Low German words for sorcery…
wif
It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą (“woman, wife”). The word is common to North and West Germanic: Old Norse víf, Old Frisian wīf, Old Saxon wīf and Old High…