*fastuz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *fastuz in Wiktionary^[1] and the u-stem *fastu- in Kroonen.^[2] Orel writes it as the a-stem *fastaz,^[3] Heidermanns as *fasta-,^[4] and Köbler gives *fasta-, *fastja- and *fastu- side by side.^[5]

Etymology

Kroonen traces it to a PIE root *pHst-, which he analyses as a compound from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- (“to become firm”) + *steh₂- (“to stand”), *ph₂ǵ-sth₂-, with the ǵ lost in the heavy cluster.^[2]

Morphology

Kroonen takes it as a u-stem that was remodelled into a ja-stem in West Germanic.^[2] De Vries also derives Old Norse fastr from *fastu-.^[6] Heidermanns rejects the u-stem: the East Norse participle meaning "promised", which Noreen and others cited for *fastu-, is in his view the past participle of the verb for "to fasten".^[4] The West Germanic forms show both types: Old Saxon fast beside Old Saxon festi, and Old High German fast beside Old High German festi.^[2][7]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse fastr, Old English fæst, Old Frisian fest, Old Saxon fast and Old High German festi.^[2] Heidermanns calls it common Germanic, attested in Gothic only indirectly;^[4] Gothic has the verb 𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (fastan, “to hold, to keep, to fast”) and the compound 𐍅𐌹𐍄𐍉𐌳𐌰𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐍃 (witodafasteis, “lawyer”).^[8] Orel adds a Burgundian *fastis.^[3] Outside Germanic, Kroonen and Orel match it with Old Armenian հաստ (hast, “firm”).^[2][3]

Competing analyses

Kroonen rules out a PIE *post-, which would not have given the Armenian form, and so abandons the connection with Sanskrit पस्त्य (pastyá, “homestead”).^[2] That Sanskrit word, "dwelling", is the usual comparison according to de Vries,^[6] and Wiktionary keeps it as possible, with a PIE *pastV- "solid, stable".^[1] Orel derives the word from *po-stH-o- "standing firm", built on Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand, to set”).^[3]

Orel explains the sense "to fast" of the verb *fastēnan as a calque of Latin iēiūnium observāre (“to observe a fast”), after Wessén and Velten,^[3] and Lehmann reports the same view with its critics;^[8] Seebold separates the verb for "to fast" from the adjective altogether and gives it its own etymology.^[4]

Meanings

1. firm, solid^[2][5]
2. fixed, secure^[1]

Old Norse also used the adjective for "hard, strong",^[6] and Old Frisian for "reliable" and "honourable".^[9]

Derivatives

• *fastāną "to observe, to hold firm to; to fast",^[10] Kroonen's *fastēn-;^[2] with the noun *fastubniją "observance; fasting".^[11]
• *fastijaną "to fasten".^[12]
• *fastulīkaz "solid, firm",^[13] Orel's *fasta-līkaz.^[3]
• *erþōfastuz "fixed to the ground",^[14] Orel's *erþa-fastaz.^[3]
• In Orel: *fastinōjanan "to fasten, to pledge" and *fastīn "firmness".^[3]

Reflexes

• Gothic: no adjective; the verb 𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (fastan, “to hold, to keep, to fast”)^[8][4]
• Old Norse: fastr (“firm, hard, strong”)^[6]
• Old English: fæst (“firm, strong, secure”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: fest (“firm, secure, reliable”)^[9]
• Old Saxon: fast (“firm, constant, secure”), festi^[16]
• Old High German: fast (“firm, strong”), festi^[7][2]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fastuz
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 131
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *fastaz
4. ^ a b c d e Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. fasta-
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *fasta-
6. ^ a b c d de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. fastr
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fast
8. ^ a b c 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. fastan
9. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. fest
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fastāną
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fastubniją
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fastijaną
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fastulīkaz
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *erþōfastuz
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fæst
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fast