*blankaz

Reconstruction

The word is *blankaz in Wiktionary,^[1] the stem *blanka- in Kroonen, Köbler and Heidermanns,^[2][3][4] and *ƀlankaz in Orel.^[5]

Etymology

Köbler compares from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleg- (“to shine, to burn”),^[3] and Orel relates the word to Ancient Greek φλέγω (phlégō, “to burn”) and Latin flagrō.^[5] Kroonen calls it an adjective formed to the poorly attested strong verb *blinkan-, a nasalised variant of *blīkan-;^[2] Wiktionary takes it as a late formation from *blinkaną, with the i reinterpreted as an e-grade, or from a Pre-Germanic *bʰlongós, a nasalised form of *blakaz.^[1]

Morphology

A primary adjective, an a-stem.^[4][3] Kroonen points out that the Elfdalian form proves that Old Norse blakkr continues *blanka- rather than *blakka-.^[2]

Evidence

The word is attested only in North and West Germanic: Old Norse blakkr and Old High German blanc.^[4][2] For Old English, Orel and EWA list Old English blanc (“white”), rare according to EWA;^[5][6] Heidermanns has English only indirectly, through the noun blanca (“grey horse”).^[4] The adjective spread into Romance as Vulgar Latin blancus, whence Italian bianco, Spanish blanco and French blanc;^[2] EWA adds Lithuanian blankùs (“pale, dull”) as a loan.^[6]

Competing analyses

Heidermanns thinks the verb "to shine", found only late in Middle Dutch and Middle Low German, secondary to the adjective, which is more widespread and attested earlier: the verb is either the same as the ja-verb or a back-formation from the adjective, and in that case the adjective must have a nasalised form of the root of *blaka-.^[4] Orel too notes that the strong verb is only marginally attested and may be secondary.^[5]

Meanings

1. faintly shining^[4]
2. bright, shining, gleaming^[3][1]
3. white, pale^[3][1]
4. colourless, with a query^[2]

Heidermanns takes "faintly shining" as the starting point, which developed both to "pale, dark" and to "bright, white".^[4] Old Norse used the word for "pale, yellowish brown", especially of a horse,^[7] and Old High German for "pale, whitish, shining", especially of a horse.^[6]

Derivatives

• *blankijaną "to shine; to deceive",^[8] in Orel *ƀlankjanan.^[9]
• *blankan- "grey horse", in Old English blanca.^[2]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: blakkr (“pale, yellowish brown”)^[7]
• Old English: blanc (“white, grey”), in Orel's list^[5]
• Old Frisian: blank (“shining; bare, of swords”)^[10][11]
• Old Saxon: only in wahsblank (“pale as wax”)^[4][12]
• Old High German: blanc (“pale, whitish, shining”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blankaz
2. ^ 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. 67
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *blanka-
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. blanka-
5. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 47
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. blanc
7. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. blakkr
8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *blankijaną
9. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 48
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. blank
11. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. blank
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *blank