*dampaz

Reconstruction

The noun is *dampaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *đampaz in Orel,^[2] and the stem *dampa- in Kroonen;^[3] EWA writes *đampa-.^[4]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Germanic *dimbaną (“to fog, to smoke”):^[1] Kroonen derives it from the strong verb *dimban- ~ *dimpan-,^[3] which continues a PIE thematic present *dʰémbʰ-e- of the root Proto-Indo-European *dʰembʰ- (“to fog”).^[5][6] Wiktionary also has an adjective *dampaz "damp, humid", continued only in English,^[1] and Kroonen likewise takes the English adjective "damp" from *dampa-.^[3]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem.^[3][2][4] EWA explains it as an ablaut formation to the strong verb, an originally o-grade action noun beside an e-grade verb, like Old High German rouh (“smoke”) beside Old High German riochan (“to steam, to smoke”).^[4] Kroonen holds that the verb variant with p is secondary, influenced by the iterative *dumpōn-;^[5] Norwegian Nynorsk damb (“dust”), formed from the same verb, kept the original b.^[3]

Evidence

The noun is found only in West Germanic: Old High German dampf, Middle Low German damp, Middle Dutch damp and Middle English damp.^[3][2] Wiktionary also lists Old English damp.^[1] The Old High German word occurs only in glosses, from the 10th century.^[4] EWA notes that the Old High German spellings with d in Bavarian texts led some scholars to set up a form with *þ-, but that the other languages point only to an initial *đ.^[4] The Danish and Icelandic words for "steam" are borrowed from Middle Low German.^[4]

Competing analyses

Orel bases the noun on a strong verb *đempanan, continued in Middle High German dimpfen (“to steam, to smoke”), and relates that verb to Lithuanian dùmpti (“to blow”).^[2] Kroonen rejects the Lithuanian comparison, taking dùmpti as a secondary formation to dùmti.^[7] EWA treats the roots *dʰemb- and *dʰembʰ- as extensions of a PIE root *dʰem-, found in Sanskrit धमति (dhámati, “blows”).^[4]

Meanings

1. vapor^[3][1]

Old High German used the word for "steam, smoke, haze",^[4] Middle Dutch for "vapor, fog", and Middle English for "fire damp" in coal mines.^[3][4]

Derivatives

• *đampa-n-, the source of Old High German dampfo (“heavy catarrh, cold”), a denominal n-stem to the noun.^[8]

Reflexes

• Old High German: dampf (“steam, smoke, haze”)^[4]
• Middle Low German: damp (“steam”), in Orel's list^[2]
• Middle Dutch: damp (“vapor, fog”), in Kroonen's list^[3]
• Middle English: damp (“fire damp”), in Kroonen's list^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *dampaz
2. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *đampaz
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 88
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. dampf
5. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 96
6. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *dimbaną
7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 108
8. ^ 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. dampfo