*hauhaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *hauhaz in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *xauxaz in Orel,^[3] and the stem *hauha- in Kroonen, Köbler and Heidermanns.^[4][5][6] Kroonen finds that the oldest languages all point to *hauha- from PIE *kóuk-o-.^[4]

Etymology

Wiktionary derives it from a PIE *kówk-o-s, from Proto-Indo-European *kewk- (“to elevate”).^[2] Bammesberger sees in it the stressed o-grade of a root *heuh- from PIE *kewk-.^[7][8]

Morphology

A primary adjective, an a-stem.^[6][8] Ringe gives the comparative *hauhizō and the superlative *hauhistaz,^[1] and EWA the comparative *χau̯χizan- and the superlative *χau̯χista-, with original stress on the root.^[9] Beside it North Germanic has a variant with grammatical change, *hauga-:^[6] Kroonen derives it from *kouk-ó-, and finds it in Swedish, Elfdalian and Norwegian Nynorsk.^[4]

Evidence

A common Germanic adjective,^[6] attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍃 (hauhs), Old Norse hár, Old English hēah, Old Saxon hōh and Old High German hōh,^[4] and Old Frisian hāch.^[3] The bracteate Fünen I, from Denmark, has Proto-Norse ᚺᛟᚢᚨᛉ (houaR), which Krause takes as probably from *hauhaR, a name the rune carver gave himself, borrowed from Odin;^[10] Heidermanns lists it as a Proto-Norse personal name.^[6] Krause and EWA explain Old Norse hár beside hór by levelling after the oblique forms.^[10][9] The element Ha- in personal names may also continue the adjective.^[11][12]

Competing analyses

For the variant with g, Kroonen compares Old Norse haugr (“hill”) and Lithuanian kaũkas (“bump”).^[4] EWA rejects Hirt's view that an end-stressed positive was levelled after the root-stressed comparative and superlative: the voiced variant comes from the noun for "hill", Old Norse haugr and Old High German houg, whose end stress arose when the adjective was made a noun.^[9] Heidermanns doubts that the nouns for "hill" belong here, since they seem to start from "heap", like Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌼𐌰 (hiuhma, “heap, crowd”).^[6] Kroonen relates that Gothic noun to the adjective.^[13]

Orel and Heidermanns compare Tocharian A koc and Tocharian B kauc "high";^[3][6] Orel goes further to a Sanskrit verb "to curve" and Lithuanian kaũkas (“bump, swelling”),^[3] while Heidermanns calls the further connection uncertain.^[6]

Meanings

1. high^[4][3][5][2]

The daughters extend it to rank and sound: Old Norse also "difficult", "splendid" and "loud",^[6] Old English also "deep", "sublime" and "proud",^[14] Old Frisian also "serious" and "respected".^[15]

Derivatives

• *hauhiþō "height",^[16][17] and *hauhį̄ "height".^[18]
• *hauhijaną "to make high, to raise, to exalt".^[19]
• *hauhalīkaz "relatively high"^[20] and *hauhahertaz "proud, haughty".^[21]
• *haukaz "a member of the Chauci", from a variant of the adjective.^[22]
• Compounds in Orel: *xauxa-ƀerʒan "high rock",^[23] *xauxa-saliz "high hall"^[24] and *xauxa-stađiz "high place".^[25]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍃 (hauhs, “high”)^[26]
• Old Norse: hár (“high”), also hór^[27]
• Old English: hēah (“high, great, deep, sublime, proud”)^[14]
• Old Frisian: hāch (“high, serious, respected”)^[15]
• Old Saxon: hōh (“high, noble, sublime”)^[28]
• Old High German: hōh (“high, tall, great, sublime”)^[9]

References

1. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 316
2. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhaz
3. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xauxaz
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. 215
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hauha-
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. hauha-
7. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 48
8. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 237
9. ^ a b c d 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. hôh
10. ^ a b Krause, Wolfgang; Jankuhn, Herbert (1966), Die Runeninschriften im älteren Futhark, Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, 3. Folge 65, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, p. Brakteat von Fünen I
11. ^ 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. hengist
12. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 214
13. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 224
14. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hēah
15. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hāch
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhiþō
17. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xauxiþō
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhį̄
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhijaną
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhalīkaz
21. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hauhahertaz
22. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *haukaz
23. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xauxa-ƀerʒan
24. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xauxa-saliz
25. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xauxa-stađiz
26. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. hauhs
27. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. hār
28. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hôh