*wai

Reconstruction

An interjection *wai in Kroonen, Orel, Köbler and Wiktionary.^[1][2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *wáy (“woe”):^[4] Kroonen calls it an Indo-European interjection, *uai.^[1]

Morphology

An uninflected interjection.^[1][3] It also stands as the first part of compounds, as in Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌾𐌰𐌽 (waifairhwjan, “to lament”) and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌾𐌰𐌼𐌴𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wajamerjan, “to blaspheme”).^[5]

Evidence

The interjection is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai), Old Norse vei, Old English wā, Old Saxon wē and Old High German wē.^[1][2] Köbler records Old High German wa (“woe!”) from Gregory of Tours, in the late 6th century.^[6] Kroonen and Feist compare Latin vae, Welsh gwae and Latvian vai.^[1][5]

Competing analyses

Orel stresses that similar interjections occur in many Indo-European and non-Indo-European languages.^[2] Feist and Lehmann add Sanskrit उवे (uvé), which Feist notes occurs only once in the Rigveda.^[5][7][4]

Meanings

1. woe!^[1][3][4]
2. alas!, an expression of grief or anguish^[4]

Derivatives

• *waiwô "woe, grief, misery";^[8] Orel writes *waiwō(n) and derives it from *wai.^[9]
• *wainōną "to cry, to lament".^[10] Kroonen derives the adjective *wainaga- "miserable, poor" from this verb,^[11] Orel his *wainaʒaz from an unattested *wainaz, probably based on *wai.^[2]
• *wai-đēđiz "evil deed", Orel's compound with *đēđiz "deed".^[2]
• *waifirhwijaną "to howl, to lament" and *wajamērijaz "disreputable".^[12][13]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai, “woe”)^[5]
• Old Norse: vei (“woe”)^[14]
• Old English: wā (“woe, misfortune; alas”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: wach (“woe”)^[16]
• Old Saxon: wē (“alas”)^[17] and wah (“woe”)^[18]
• Old High German: wē (“woe”)^[19] and wah (“woe”)^[20]

References

1. ^ 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. 566
2. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 440
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wai
4. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wai
5. ^ a b c d Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. wai
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wa
7. ^ 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. 415
8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *waiwô
9. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 441
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wainōną
11. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 567
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *waifirhwijaną
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wajamērijaz
14. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 650
15. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wā
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wach
17. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. wē
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wah
19. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wē
20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wah