*skarpaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *skarpaz in Orel and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *skarpa- in Kroonen, Köbler, Heidermanns and EWA,^[3][4][5][6] and *skarpa-z in LÄGLOS.^[7]

Etymology

Wiktionary has it from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-, from *(s)ker- (“to cut”), through the verb *skerpaną.^[2] Kroonen takes it as an o-grade adjective to the strong verb *skerban- ~ *skerpan- ~ *skrepan- "to scrape, to scratch", from *skrébʰ-e-.^[3][8]

Morphology

An adjective with the o-grade of the root,^[3] which Heidermanns counts among the primary adjectives.^[5] Heidermanns sets it beside two strong verbs, *skerpa- "to scrape" and *skerpa- "to shrink", probably of different origin.^[5] Orel sees the second in the participle Old Norse skorpinn (“shrivelled”).^[1]

Evidence

The adjective is North and West Germanic: Old Norse skarpr, Old English scearp, Old Frisian skerp, Old Saxon skarp and Old High German scarp.^[3] Heidermanns notes that in Old High German it appears late, in place of an older *sarpa-.^[5] Kroonen's list has no Gothic form.^[3] Finnish kärppä (“snow crust, frozen ground layer, crust of salt, bark”) may be a loan from Proto-Germanic *skarpa-z or Proto-Norse *skarpaR, which presupposes the adjective used as a noun;^[7] LÄGLOS reports that SSA calls it a probable Scandinavian loan and Vaba a Baltic one.^[7] Kroonen compares Latvian skařbs (“sharp”), from *skorbʰ-o-;^[3] Orel also Middle Irish cerb (“sharp”) and Tocharian B kärpye (“rough”).^[1]

Competing analyses

Kroonen derives the adjective from the verb "to scrape".^[3] Orel sees a labial extension of *sker- "to cut", with Middle Irish cerb and Proto-Slavic *ščьrbъ (“incomplete, deficient”).^[1] Heidermanns and EWA find that the wide range of meanings points to two formations, perhaps of different origin, which merged: the sense "shrivelled" belongs to the verb "to shrink", and "rough" and "sharp" could have grown from it or belong directly to the verb "to scrape".^[5][6] Köbler gives both the root *skerbʰ- "to cut" and, as an alternative, *skremb- "to twist, to shrink".^[4]

Meanings

1. sharp, pointed^[3][1][2][4]
2. shrivelled, rough^[5][4]

Heidermanns distinguishes the senses "shrivelled", "rough", "hard" and "sharp, pointed" in the daughters.^[5] Old Norse used the word for shrivelled, dried-out earth or leather, and Old English also metaphorically for a bold warrior.^[5]

Derivatives

• *skarpjanan "to sharpen" in Orel, Köbler's *skarpjan.^[1][9]
• *skarpī- "point, sting" in Köbler.^[10]
• *skarpalīka- "sharp" in Köbler, from Old English scearplic.^[11]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: skarpr (“shrivelled, dry; sharp, rough, hard”)^[12]
• Old English: scearp (“sharp, pointed, keen, rough, bitter, bold”)^[13]
• Old Frisian: skerp (“sharp”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: skarp (“sharp, rough, pointed”)^[15]
• Old Dutch: skarp (“sharp, cutting”)^[6]
• Old High German: skarpf (“rough, prickly, sharp”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 335
2. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skarpaz
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 440
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skarpa-
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. 487
6. ^ 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. skarpf
7. ^ a b c 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. 50
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 444
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skarpjan
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skarpī-
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skarpalīka-
12. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. skarpr
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. scearp
14. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. skerp
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. skarp