*þar

Reconstruction

The adverb is *þar in Orel and Wiktionary,^[1][2] and *þar, *þēr in Köbler.^[3] Kroonen cites it as *þar "there", from PIE *to-r.^[4]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *to- (“that”), a pronominal stem, with a locative *-r;^[5][6] within Germanic, Wiktionary and Orel form it from *þa- "that" and the locative suffix.^[2][1]

Morphology

An adverb of place.^[3] Kroonen sees the same locative suffix in *hwar "where", from *kʷo-r, in *hiar "here", from *ki-or, and probably in *gestra- "the previous or next day" and *gadur "together".^[6][4][7] The Gothic and Old Norse short vowel goes back to *þar; the long vowel of West Germanic, as in Old English þǣr and Old High German dār, may continue a *þēr, or a lengthening of the monosyllable *þar in West Germanic.^[8] Kroonen explains the long vowel of West Germanic *hwār by such a monosyllabic lengthening.^[6]

Evidence

The adverb is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍂 (þar), Old Norse þar, Old English þǣr, Old Frisian thēr, Old Saxon thār and Old High German dār.^[1] The simple Gothic adverb occurs only twice, at Luke 9:4 and Mark 6:10; much more frequent are 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 (þarei, “where”) and the deictic 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌿𐌷 (þaruh).^[9] Feist and de Vries compare Sanskrit तर्हि (tárhi, “then, at that time”).^[5][10]

Competing analyses

For the long-vowel forms, EWA weighs a Proto-Germanic *þēr against lengthening of the short form, and lists other views, among them G. Schmidt's West Germanic *þēr.^[8] Fulk reports Stiles's argument that, since the lengthened vowel of *þar and *xwar merged in West Germanic with that of another Proto-Germanic long vowel, the latter must already have become ā.^[11] Fulk finds the argument inconclusive.^[11] Feist explained the West Germanic long vowel as a different vowel grade.^[5]

Meanings

1. there, in that place^[2][3][4]

In Old English and Old High German the word also served as a relative "where" and as a conjunction "when";^[12][8] Old English also used it for "though".^[12]

Derivatives

• An extended form *þar-uđa, from *þar- and a pre-Germanic *u-tá, in Old High German darot;^[13] Orel compares Old Saxon tharod (“there”).^[1]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌸𐌰𐍂 (þar, “there”)^[5]
• Old Norse: þar (“there”)^[10]
• Old English: þǣr (“there, where, then, though”)^[12]
• Old Frisian: thēr (“there, where, when”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: thār (“there”)^[15]
• Old Dutch: thār^[2]
• Old High German: dār (“there, where, when”)^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þar
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þar
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þar
4. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 225
5. ^ a b c d Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. þar
6. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 263
7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 175
8. ^ a b c d Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. dâr
9. ^ Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. þar
10. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. þar
11. ^ a b Fulk, R. D. (2018), A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages, Studies in Germanic Linguistics 3, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins
12. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þǣr
13. ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. darot
14. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. thēr
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thār