*brūnaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *brūnaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *ƀrūnaz in Orel,^[2] *brūna- in Köbler, who also gives *brūnaz, and in Heidermanns.^[3][4]

Etymology

Wiktionary tentatively derives it from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“grey, brown”).^[1] Köbler sets up a PIE *bʰrouno- or *bʰrūno-.^[3]

Morphology

A primary adjective with the stem *brūna-.^[4] Heidermanns finds nothing comparable with the same root grade within Germanic.^[4]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in North and West Germanic only.^[4] Orel cites Old Norse brúnn, Old English brūn, Old Frisian brūn, Old Saxon brūnrōd (“sparkling red”) and Old High German brūn.^[2] Old Saxon has it only in compounds.^[4] Köbler sets up a Gothic *brūns on the evidence of Italian bruno.^[5] The word was borrowed early into neighbouring languages;^[4] de Vries names Finnish ruuni among the loans from the Norse word.^[6]

Competing analyses

Orel compares Ancient Greek φρῦνος (phrûnos, “frog”), as "the brown one", and further an IE *bhreu-.^[2] Heidermanns allows the Greek match if the animal was named after its colour, but finds the Sanskrit word for "brown" closest as a colour word.^[4] Orel separates a second adjective "shining", behind Old Norse brún (“edge”) and Old English brūn (“shining, flashing”).^[2] De Vries, after Dal and Krogmann, also takes Old Norse brúnn "shining, sharp" as a different word.^[6] Heidermanns treats them as one adjective: the sense "sharp" is only North Germanic and may come from Old Norse brýna (“to sharpen”).^[4]

Meanings

1. brown^[3][1]
2. sparkling, red-brown^[4]

Old English also used it for "dark" and "shining",^[7] and Old High German for "dark" and "black-brown".^[8]

Derivatives

• *brūnjan "to brown, to adorn", behind Old High German brūnen.^[9]
• *rauđa-ƀrunaz "red-brown", a compound with *raudaz.^[10]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: brúnn (“brown”)^[6]
• Old English: brūn (“brown, dark, shining”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: brūn (“brown, shining”)^[11]
• Old Saxon: only in compounds, such as brūnrōd (“sparkling red”)^[4]
• Old High German: brūn (“brown, dark, red-brown”)^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *brūnaz
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀrūnaz
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *brūna-
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. 143
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *brūns
6. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. brúnn
7. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. brūn
8. ^ a b 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. brûn
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *brūnjan
10. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rauđa-ƀrunaz
11. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. brūn