*blaikaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *blaikaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *ƀlaikaz in Orel,^[2] *blaika- in Kroonen and Heidermanns,^[3][4] *blaika-, *blaikaz in Köbler^[5] and *blaik-a- in Bammesberger.^[6]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”), through a Pre-Germanic *bʰloyǵ-os.^[1]

Morphology

A primary adjective in *-a- with the o-grade of the root, formed to the strong verb *blīkaną "to shine".^[3][1] Bammesberger counts it among the thematic adjectives with a root a-stem.^[6] Orel derives it from *ƀlīk(j)anan.^[2]

Evidence

The word is found only in North and West Germanic: Old Norse bleikr, Old English blāc, Old Saxon blēk and Old High German bleih, with no Gothic form.^[3][2] Old Norse lent it to Middle English and to Sami.^[7] Koivulehto derived Finnish laikka (“spot, patch”) from *blaika-z or a derivative *blaik(j)ōn-, but Ritter rejects this.^[8]

Competing analyses

Kroonen notes that *blaita- "pale", in Old English blāt and identical to Old Church Slavonic and Russian words for "pale", is reminiscent of *blaika-;^[3] Orel says it may be connected.^[9] Wiktionary calls *blankaz "bright, white" a doublet of this word.^[10]

Meanings

1. pale^[3][5][1]
2. shining, gleaming^[5][4]
3. white^[1]

Old Norse used it for "shining yellowish" of hair and shields as well as for "pale, faded", Old English for "shining, bright" of metal and light and for "deathly pale", and Old High German for "yellowish, sallow, pale".^[4]

Derivatives

• *blaikijaną "to bleach, to make pale",^[11] Orel's *ƀlaikjanan, in Old Norse bleikja, Old English blǣcan and Old High German bleihhen.^[12]
• Orel's *ƀlaik(j)ōn "white paint, make-up".^[13]
• Köbler's *blaikēn "to grow pale"^[14] and *blaikīn "paleness".^[15]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: bleikr (“pale”)^[7]
• Old English: blāc (“shining, bright, radiant; pale”)^[16]
• Old Saxon: blēk (“pale, bright, shining”)^[17]
• Old High German: bleih (“white, pale, bright”)^[18]
• Gothic has no form of the word.^[3][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blaikaz
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀlaikaz
3. ^ a b c d e f Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 66
4. ^ a b c Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. blaika-
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *blaika-
6. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 237
7. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. bleikr
8. ^ Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 152
9. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀlaitaz
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blankaz
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blaikijaną
12. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀlaikjanan
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 47
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *blaikēn
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *blaikī-
16. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. blāc
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. blêk
18. ^ 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. bleih