*nu

Reconstruction

The adverb is *nu in Orel and Wiktionary,^[1][2] and *nū in Kroonen and Köbler.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *nu (“now”), an Indo-European adverb.^[3][2]

Morphology

An adverb, also used as a conjunction.^[5][6] Kroonen explains the long vowel of several daughters by the frequent use of the word in stressed position.^[3] Orel and Lehmann refer to Johannes Schmidt for the alternation of short and long u.^[1][5] Kroonen thinks Old High German nun may match Ancient Greek νῦν (nûn) and a Sanskrit adverb for "now" directly.^[3]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌽𐌿 (nu), Old Norse nú, Old English nū, Old Frisian nū and Old High German nu,^[3] and Old Saxon nū.^[1] Gothic uses it for "now", "just now" and "therefore", and also has Gothic 𐌽𐌿𐌷 (nuh, “then, therefore”) and Gothic 𐌽𐌿𐌽𐌿 (nunu, “now then”).^[5] Outside Germanic Kroonen compares Hittite nu (“now, and”), Sanskrit नु (nu, “now, just, but”) and Avestan nū (“now”);^[3][2] Orel adds Ancient Greek νυ (nu) and νῦν (nûn), Old Irish nu, Lithuanian nū̃ and Proto-Slavic *nъ (“and, but”).^[1]

Meanings

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

As a conjunction, Old English used it for "since, because",^[7] and Old Frisian also for "then, afterwards".^[8]

Derivatives

• *nuh "now also; yet, still", from PIE *nu-kʷe, that is *nu with *-hw;^[9] Orel derives Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌷 (nauh, “still, yet”) from the same univerbation.^[1]
• *niwjaz "new": Kroonen takes the adjective as probably derived from the adverb,^[10] and Heidermanns and Bammesberger describe PIE *new-o- as a vṛddhi formation to *nu.^[11][12]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌽𐌿 (nu, “now”)^[13]
• Old Norse: nú (“now”)^[14]
• Old English: nū (“now, just now; since, because”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: nū (“now, then”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: nū (“now; since”)^[6]
• Old High German: nū (“now, then, therefore”)^[16]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *nu
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nu
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. 392
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *nū
5. ^ 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. nu
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nū
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nū
8. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. nū
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nuh
10. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 389
11. ^ Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. neuja-
12. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 255
13. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. nu
14. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. nú
15. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. nū
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nū