*buskaz

Reconstruction

The word is *buskaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *ƀuskaz in Orel^[2] and *buska- in Köbler.^[3]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain: Wiktionary reports the traditional derivation from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to swell, to grow”), through a pre-form *bʰuH-s-ko-s "growth".^[1] Köbler calls its etymology unknown.^[3]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem.^[3][4]

Evidence

The word is rare in the older languages but found in almost all the later ones.^[4] Old Saxon has it only in the compound Old Saxon brāmalbusk (“bramble bush”), of the 11th century, and Old High German busc is recorded in glosses from the 12th century.^[4] A Latinised Medieval Latin boscus "bushland, wood" appears in an Old High German charter of 837.^[5] In the north, de Vries lists Old Norse buskr (“brushwood”).^[6] No Gothic word is attested, but Köbler infers a Gothic *būska "log" from Romance loans.^[7]

Competing analyses

Orel derives the word from *ƀōw(w)anan "to dwell";^[2] Wiktionary gives as an alternative a noun formed from *būaną with the suffix *-skaz, the long vowel shortened before the consonant cluster.^[1] De Vries allows a borrowing from Medieval Latin boscus, the wood open for gathering firewood, but notes that the Latin word has conversely been taken as Germanic; he also considers the root of Old Norse beysti.^[6] Orel cites Kluge–Seebold for a link with *ƀruskaz.^[2]

Meanings

1. bush^[3][2]
2. thicket, brushwood, small wood; shrub^[1]

In Old High German the word also meant "bramble bush" and "grove".^[4]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: buskr (“brushwood”)^[6]
• Old Saxon: brāmalbusk (“bramble bush”), a compound^[4]
• Old High German: busc (“bush, shrub, thicket, grove”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *buskaz
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 64
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *buska-
4. ^ a b c d e f 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. busc
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. boscus
6. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 66
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *būska