*gazdaz

Reconstruction

The word is *gazdaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *ʒazđaz in Orel,^[2] and the stem *gazda- in Kroonen and Köbler.^[3][4]

Etymology

Köbler, after Pokorny, has it from Proto-Indo-European *g̑ʰasto- (“rod, pole”).^[4] Kroonen reconstructs *gʰazdʰ-o- and calls it a Germanic-Celtic word.^[3]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem,^[4][5] one of the Germanic formations with the cluster zd beside st.^[5] Köbler sets up a homonymous *gazda- "hard soil", from Old Norse gaddr (“trodden snow”).^[6]

Evidence

The word is attested in Gothic, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌶𐌳𐍃 (gazds, “sting”), at 1 Corinthians 15:55–56, and in North and West Germanic: Old Norse gaddr, Old Saxon gard and Old High German gart.^[3][7] Old English has only the derivative Old English gierd (“rod”).^[3] Karsten took Finnish karta (“reef, small island, shoal”) from Proto-Norse *gaRdaR, which Setälä rejected and de Vries accepted, and LÄGLOS finds both this and a derivation from Old Norse skarð possible.^[8]

Competing analyses

Kroonen finds Old Irish gat (“withe, osier”) formally identical, while Latin hasta (“spear-shaft, lance”) and gas (“sprig, shoot, twig”) point to a variant with a voiceless dental; since such variation cannot be Indo-European, he thinks the word comes from a local European language.^[3] Wiktionary likewise considers it probably of non-Indo-European substrate origin, given the irregular sound variation and limited distribution.^[1] Lehmann notes that it is found only in Italic, Celtic and Germanic, so that a PIE *ghasto- has no basis.^[7] Feist found the Irish word too remote in meaning, and held that the Old Church Slavonic word for "nail" can be neither cognate nor a Germanic loan.^[9]

Meanings

1. prickle, goad, spike^[3][1][4]
2. rod^[4]

Derivatives

• *gazdjōn- "rod, stick", continued in Old Saxon gerda, Old Frisian ierde, Old English gierd and Old High German gerta;^[3] Köbler's *gazdjō.^[10]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌶𐌳𐍃 (gazds, “sting”)^[9]
• Old Norse: gaddr (“sting, spike”)^[11]
• Old Saxon: gard (“rod, staff”)^[12]
• Old High German: gart (“goad, prickle, spike”)^[13]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *gazdaz
2. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 129
3. ^ 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. 172
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *gazda- 2
5. ^ a b Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. § 2.37.4
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *gazda- 1
7. ^ a b 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. 182
8. ^ Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 53
9. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 132
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *gazdjō
11. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 151
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gard
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gart