*harpǭ

Reconstruction

The word is *harpǭ in Wiktionary,^[1] *xarpōn in Orel,^[2] *harpōn or *harpō in Köbler^[3] and *χarpō(n)- in EWA.^[4]

Etymology

EWA traces it to a pre-Germanic *korbeh₂(+n)-, probably from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb- (“to bend, to shrink”), so that the harp was "what is plucked with bent fingers".^[4] Wiktionary calls its origin uncertain, probably PIE *(s)kreb- "to turn, to bend", comparing *hrapōną "to touch, to strum".^[1]

Morphology

A feminine noun;^[2] Köbler sets up both a strong ō-stem and a weak n-stem.^[3] The daughters show both weak and strong forms: Old Norse harpa and Old English hearpe are weak, Old High German harpfa strong or weak.^[5][6][7]

Evidence

The word is attested only in North and West Germanic: Old Norse harpa, Old English hearpe, Old Saxon harpa and Old High German harpfa.^[2] Köbler infers a Gothic *harpa from the Romance words, but none is recorded.^[8] Late Latin had borrowed it by the 6th century: Venantius Fortunatus names the Late Latin harpa as an instrument of the barbarians.^[4]

Competing analyses

De Vries calls the etymology disputed: Sperber started from a *harp- "harrow", comparing Old Norse harfr; others compare Latin corbis (“basket”) and Middle Irish corb (“wagon”); a link with Latin crepō (“to rattle”) is less likely.^[9] Orel relates it to corbis and Proto-Slavic *korbъ (“basket”).^[2] EWA rejects the connections with Old High German ruofen (“to call”) and with Old Norse harfr on grounds of meaning, and a loan from a pre-Indo-European language as unlikely.^[4] Torp thought it perhaps "the curved one".^[10]

Meanings

1. harp^[1][3]

Old Norse also used the word for a large corn sieve and a kind of mussel,^[9] and Old Saxon for an instrument of torture.^[4][9]

Derivatives

• Compounds in Orel: *xarpa-slaʒiz "striking the harp" and *xarpa-strenʒaz "harp string".^[2]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: harpa (“harp; corn sieve; a kind of mussel”)^[9]
• Old English: hearpe (“harp”)^[11]
• Old Saxon: harpa (“harp; grate”)^[12]
• Old High German: harpfa (“harp”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *harpǭ
2. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 163
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *harpō
4. ^ a b c d e f 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. harpfa
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. harpa
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hearpe
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. harpfa
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *harpa
9. ^ a b c d de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 212
10. ^ Torp, Alf (1909), Wortschatz der germanischen Spracheinheit (Fick, Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der indogermanischen Sprachen, 4th ed., vol. 3), Göttingen, p. 78
11. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hearpe
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. harpa