*samaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *samaz in Orel and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *sama-, *samaz in Köbler,^[3] *sama(n)- in Kroonen,^[4] *(-)sama- in Heidermanns^[5] and *sam-a- in Bammesberger.^[6] Orel separates a weak adjective *samōn "same", to which he assigns the words for "the same" in Gothic, Norse, English, Saxon and High German, from *samaz, which he finds in Gothic 𐌻𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (lustusama, “longed for”) and Old Norse samr (“agreeing, willing”).^[7][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *somHós (“same, alike”);^[2] Kroonen writes *somH-o-.^[4]

Morphology

An adjective in *-a-, beside a weak n-stem form.^[4] Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (sama) is inflected only weak,^[6] and Old Norse samr stands beside Old Norse sami.^[4] Kroonen relates the ablauting pronoun *sumaz "some(one)".^[4]

As the second member of compounds it became an adjective-forming suffix *-sama-;^[8] Ringe thinks this happened so early that the process can no longer be reconstructed, but finds at least one example reconstructable for Proto-Germanic.^[8] Heidermanns thinks the simplex is the same word as this half-suffix, originally meaning "corresponding, fitting", and that the weak pronominal adjective "the same" first meant "the corresponding one";^[5] Anglo-Frisian uses *-suma- instead.^[5] EWA too sets *-sama- beside an ablauting *-suma- of the same function.^[9]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (sama), Old Norse samr and Old High German samo as the adjective "the same".^[4] Old English has only the adverb Old English same, in the phrase "swā same" "in the same way",^[7] and Old Saxon sama is an adverb "likewise, as".^[10] LÄGLOS derives Finnish sama (“the same”), which has cognates in Ingrian, Karelian, Ludian, Votic and Estonian, from *saman- or *sama-z.^[11]

Competing analyses

Kroonen calls the word identical to the Sanskrit and Avestan adjectives for "equal, same" and to Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “common, same”);^[4] Orel adds Old Irish -som (“that one”).^[7] Heidermanns calls the word identical with the Greek one but the Sanskrit synonym disputed, because Brugmann's law did not apply to it, and asks whether the starting point was *somH-o- or *semo-; he takes the base to be *sem- "one".^[5] Bammesberger notes that *somh-o- is now usually set up because of Brugmann's law.^[6]

Meanings

1. the same, alike^[4][3][2]

The simplex means "fitting, suitable, inclined to something" in Old Norse poetry.^[5] The suffix forms adjectives of similarity or of having a quality, the source of the English suffix -some.^[12]

Derivatives

• *-samaz "-some", a suffix of adjectives.^[12] Orel has the compounds *nuti-samaz "useful" and *seđu-samaz "well-conducted".^[13][14]
• *samjaną "to make the same",^[15] Orel's *samjanan, in Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (samjan, “to seek to please”).^[16]
• *samalīkaz "alike",^[17] and Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (samaleiks, “equal, identical”).^[18]
• *samakunjaz "of the same kin", a parallel to Ancient Greek ὁμόγνιος (homógnios);^[19] *samafadrijaz "of the same father", formally identical to Ancient Greek ὁμοπάτριος (homopátrios).^[20]
• Orel's adverbs *samanē̆ "together" and *samaþ(e) "together", which he connects with *samōn.^[21]
• *sōma- "fitting", which Bammesberger, after Darms, takes as a vṛddhi derivative of *sama-;^[6] Heidermanns, who sets up *sōmi-, objects that this type of derivative is otherwise a noun when formed from an adjective.^[22]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (sama, “the same”)^[23]
• Old Norse: samr (“the same”) and the weak sami, in Kroonen's list^[4]
• Old English: the adverb same (“similarly, likewise, also, as”)^[24]
• Old Saxon: the adverb sama (“likewise, as”)^[10]
• Old High German: samo (“this, the same, self”)^[25] and the adverb sama (“in the same way”)^[26]

References

1. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *samaz
2. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *samaz
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *sama-
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 425
5. ^ a b c d e Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. sama-
6. ^ a b c d Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *samōn
8. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 327
9. ^ 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. -sam
10. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. sama
11. ^ 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. 219
12. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *-samaz
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *nuti-samaz
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *seđu-samaz
15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *samjaną
16. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *samjanan
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *samalīkaz
18. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *sama-līkaz
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *samakunjaz
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *samafadrijaz
21. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 317
22. ^ Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. sōmi-
23. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. sama
24. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. same
25. ^ 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. samo
26. ^ 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. sama