*dalą

Reconstruction

The word is *dalą in Wiktionary,^[1] cited by its stem *dala- in Kroonen and Köbler;^[2][3] Köbler sets up a neuter *dalam beside a masculine *dalaz.^[3] Orel writes *đalaz.^[4]

Etymology

Kroonen reconstructs a European *dʰolh₂-o- and, given the possible link with Ancient Greek θαλάμη (thalámē, “den, lair”), derives it from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelh₂-.^[2] He compares Middle Welsh dol (“meadow, dale”).^[2]

Morphology

Kroonen calls it a European o-stem and gives it as masculine;^[2] Orel has it as masculine or neuter.^[4] The daughters differ in gender: the Gothic word is masculine or neuter, Old Norse dalr is masculine, and Old English dæl, Old Saxon dal and Old High German tal are neuter.^[2]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌻 (dal) in Gothic, Old Norse dalr in Old Norse, and Old English dæl, Old Saxon dal and Old High German tal in West Germanic.^[2] Orel adds Old Frisian del (“valley”).^[4] The Gothic noun renders Greek "ravine, valley" at Luke 3:5 and also "pit".^[5]

Competing analyses

Orel identifies the word with Welsh dol (“valley”) and Proto-Slavic *dolъ (“valley”), and connects, probably, Ancient Greek θόλος (thólos, “round building with a conical roof”).^[4] Wiktionary calls the origin uncertain: the Slavic and Welsh words may be cognates from *dʰól(h₂)os, but if they were not borrowed from Germanic, the word is most likely a substrate loan; the Greek comparisons are largely rejected.^[1] Köbler derives it from PIE *dʰel- "vault, bend, hollow".^[3] De Vries reports Sperber's view that the original meaning was "depression in the ground, groove", and J. Trier's "a space enclosed by ranges of hills".^[6]

Meanings

1. valley, dale^[2][3][1]

The Gothic word also meant "ravine, pit",^[4] the Old English one "abyss",^[7] and the Old Norse one also "bow", which Sperber explains from the groove of a bow.^[6]

Derivatives

• *daljō "dell";^[8] Orel's *đaljan "declivity, hollow", with Gothic 𐌹𐌱𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰 (ibdalja, “declivity, slope”) and Old English dell (“deep hollow, valley”).^[4]
• *dōlijō "small valley, hollow", a vṛddhi derivative;^[9] in Kroonen *dōljō- "depression", a lengthened-grade formation.^[10]
• Kroonen's *dulō- "ditch", a zero-grade formation.^[11]
• Wiktionary takes the second part of the tribal name *ermunduliz as a variant *dulą of this word.^[12]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌳𐌰𐌻 (dal, “valley, pit”)^[13]
• Old Norse: dalr (“valley; bow”)^[6]
• Old English: dæl (“valley, abyss”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: del (“valley”), perhaps only in field names^[14]
• Old Saxon: dal (“valley, abyss, pit”)^[15]
• Old High German: tal (“valley, abyss, ravine”)^[16]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *dalą
2. ^ a b c d e f g Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 87
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *dala-
4. ^ a b c d e f Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 67
5. ^ 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. s.v. *dals
6. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. dalr
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. dæl
8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *daljō
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *dōlijō
10. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 98
11. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 108
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *ermunduliz
13. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. dal
14. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. del
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. dal
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. tal