*dēdiz

Reconstruction

The word is *dēdiz in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *đēđiz in Orel,^[3] and the stem *dēdi- in Kroonen and Köbler,^[4][5] who also gives *dǣdi-.^[5] Fulk writes *dē-ðí-.^[6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁tis (“act of putting”), through an intermediate *dʰētís with the accent on the suffix.^[1][2] Kroonen calls it a ti-stem derived from the root *dʰeh₁- of *dōną.^[4] Wiktionary also sets up a homonymous adjective *dēdiz "doing, able to do, active", a verbal adjective to the verb.^[2]

Morphology

A feminine i-stem,^[5] which Kroonen calls a ti-stem;^[4] Wiktionary analyses it as *dōną with the suffix *-þiz.^[2] Ringe takes it as a fossil of the proterokinetic ti-stems of Proto-Indo-European: it has a full-grade root but, judging from the voiced Verner's law variant of its suffix, an accent on the end.^[7]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃 (gadēþs) in Gothic, Old Norse dáð in Old Norse, and Old English dǣd, Old Frisian dēde, Old Saxon dād and Old High German tāt in West Germanic.^[3] The Gothic noun occurs only in compounds,^[8] such as 𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍃𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃 (missadēþs, “misdeed, sin”).^[1] Old Norse has the noun but not the verb it belongs to.^[9]

Competing analyses

Orel finds the formation identical with Lithuanian dėtis (“load”), from IE *dhē- "to put, to set".^[3] Ringe compares Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis).^[1]

Meanings

1. deed, action^[4][5][2]

Old Norse also used the word for "good quality",^[9] Old Frisian for "wound" and "crime",^[10] and Old Saxon for "event", "power" and "omen".^[11]

Derivatives

• *missadēdiz "misdeed",^[12] Orel's *missa-đēđiz.^[13]
• *weladēdiz "good deed, benefit",^[14] Orel's *wela-đēđiz.^[15]
• *wai-đēđiz "evil deed".^[16]
• *-dēd-ijan-, a n-stem in Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌾𐌰 (waidedja, “robber”).^[17]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃 (gadēþs, “deed”)^[18]
• Old Norse: dáð (“deed, good quality”)^[9]
• Old English: dǣd (“deed, action, event”)^[19]
• Old Frisian: dēde (“deed, action; wound; crime”)^[10]
• Old Saxon: dād (“deed, event, power, omen”)^[11]
• Old High German: tāt (“deed, action, thing”)^[20]

References

1. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 90
2. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *dēdiz
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 72
4. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 92
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *dēdi-
6. ^ Fulk, R. D. (2018), A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages, Studies in Germanic Linguistics 3, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins
7. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 58
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *dēþs
9. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 71
10. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. dēde
11. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. dād
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *missadēdiz
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 272
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *weladēdiz
15. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 453
16. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 440
17. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 182
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gadēþs
19. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. dǣd
20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. tāt