*-ilaz

Reconstruction

A suffix *-ilaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *-ila- in Kroonen, Ringe and Bammesberger.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

Wiktionary derives the diminutive suffix from PIE *-e-ló-s, thematised from Proto-Indo-European *-lós, and calls the suffix of agent and instrument nouns formally a thematised variant of the same PIE suffix.^[1] Feist and Lehmann compare the PIE diminutive suffix *-elo- of Latin filiolus (“little son”).^[5][6]

Morphology

Ringe distinguishes a masculine suffix of instrument nouns, a homonymous diminutive suffix, and, for nouns denoting persons, diminutives extended to the n-stems *-ilan-, *-ilōn-.^[3] Wiktionary gives a third use, forming adjectives from verbs, as a variant of *-ulaz.^[1] Bammesberger regards the origin of the Germanic stems in *-ila-, *-ala-, *-ula- and the like as mixed: they are partly thematic derivatives of consonant stems, but stems in *-ina- and the like may partly be derivatives with *-n-ó- from i- and u-stems.^[4]

Evidence

The suffix is found in all the branches, as in the adjective for "great".^[2] Ringe cites the instrument nouns *tugilaz "cord", in Old Norse tygill and Old English tyġel, and *bandilaz, in bendill and Old High German bentil, the diminutive *kurnilą "little grain", in cyrnel, and *mawilōn- "little girl", in Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌻𐍉 (mawilo) and meyla.^[3] Gothic also has the diminutive Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌹𐌻𐍉 (barnilo, “little child”) beside Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌽 (barn, “child”).^[5][6] Kroonen speaks of "the usual *-ila- suffix" in the adjective *krup(p)ila- "cripple", derived from the verb *kreupan-,^[7] and of an instrument noun in *-ila/ō- in *hanhilō- "pothook".^[8]

Competing analyses

In the adjectives *mikilaz "big" and *lītilaz "small" the suffix is lacking in closely related forms;^[9][2] Kroonen leaves open whether one of the two words took it over from the other, and compares the suffix of Ancient Greek μεγάλη (megálē, “great”).^[9][2] He takes *ubilaz "evil" as possibly formed with *-ila-, not *-ela- as Orel has it.^[10]

Meanings

1. forming diminutive nouns^[1][3]
2. forming agent and instrument nouns^[1][3]
3. forming adjectives from verbs, "tending to"^[1]

Derivatives

• *mikilaz "great, large", *lītilaz "small" and *ubilaz "evil".^[2][9][10]
• *tugilaz "rein, cord".^[11][3]
• *mawilǭ "young girl", with the diminutive *-ilǭ.^[12]

Reflexes

• Gothic: -𐌹𐌻𐌰 (-ila), as in 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils, “great”) in Kroonen's list^[1][2]
• Old Norse: -ill, as in mikill in Kroonen's list^[1][2]
• Old English: -el, -il, as in micel in Kroonen's list^[1][2]
• Old Frisian: -il, in adjectives^[1]
• Old Saxon: -il, as in mikil in Kroonen's list^[1][2]
• Old High German: -il, as in mihhil in Kroonen's list^[1][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *-ilaz
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 361
3. ^ a b c d e f Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 325
4. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 80
5. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 64
6. ^ a b 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. 90
7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 307
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 209
9. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 339
10. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 557
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *tugilaz
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *mawilǭ