*fadēr

Reconstruction

The word is *fadēr in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *fađēr in Orel,^[3] and the stem *fader- in Kroonen and Köbler.^[4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr (“father”), the PIE word for "father".^[4][1]

Morphology

An r-stem.^[6] Kroonen describes the PIE word as a hysterokinetic ter-stem, nominative *ph₂-tér, genitive *ph₂-tr-ós, accusative *ph₂-tér-m.^[4] In Proto-Germanic the r-stems had been reduced to five kinship terms inflected alike, the masculines *fadēr and *brōþēr and the feminines *mōdēr, *swestēr and *duhtēr; the nominative singular ended in *-ēr, the accusative probably in *-arų, the vocative in *-ar.^[6]

Two sound laws shaped the word: the laryngeal between consonants became a vowel *ə, which merged with *a in the first syllable, so that *ph₂tḗr gave *pətḗr;^[7] and since the accent followed, Verner's law turned the *þ of *faþḗr into *d.^[1] Kroonen thinks the suffix accent of *mōdēr is analogical to this word.^[8]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌳𐌰𐍂 (fadar), Old Norse faðir, and Old English fæder, Old Frisian feder, Old Saxon fadar and Old High German fater in West Germanic.^[4] The Gothic form occurs once, as a vocative in "abba fadar" at Galatians 4:6; elsewhere Wulfila uses Gothic 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌰 (atta).^[9][3] Its cognates include Tocharian A pācar, Sanskrit पितर्- (pitár-), Ancient Greek πατήρ (patḗr), Latin pater and Old Irish athir.^[4][3]

Meanings

1. father^[4][3][2]

Old High German also used the word for "abbot",^[10] and Old Frisian for "confessor".^[11] De Vries reports J. Trier's view that the word named a legal rather than a biological relation, the father as the head of the family.^[12]

Derivatives

• *fadurwjan- "father's brother", which Kroonen takes as a PIE formation, like Sanskrit पितृव्य (pitṛvya) and Latin patruus.^[13] Orel writes it *fađurwjōn.^[3]
• *fadrīnaz "paternal" and *fadurlīkaz "fatherly".^[2]
• Compounds: *fadurgardaz "father's house" and *fadurbanô "patricide";^[2] in Orel, *steupa-fađēr "stepfather" and *fōstra-fađēr "foster father".^[3]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍆𐌰𐌳𐌰𐍂 (fadar, “father”)^[14]
• Old Norse: faðir (“father”)^[12]
• Old English: fæder (“father”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: feder (“father, confessor”)^[11]
• Old Saxon: fadar (“father”)^[16]
• Old High German: fater (“father, abbot”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 123
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fadēr
3. ^ a b c d e f Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *fađēr
4. ^ 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. 121
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *fader
6. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 308
7. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 98
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 371
9. ^ 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. fadar
10. ^ a b 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. fater
11. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. feder
12. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. faðir
13. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 122
14. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. fadar
15. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. fæder
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fadar