*hairaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *hairaz in Wiktionary,^[1] *xairaz in Orel,^[2] *haira- in Kroonen, Köbler and Heidermanns,^[3][4][5] and *χai̯ra- in EWA.^[6]

Etymology

Ringe has it inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱoyros (“gray”);^[7] Wiktionary starts from PIE *(s)ḱeh₃-ro-s "grey, dark",^[1] Köbler from a root *k̑ei- "grey, dark".^[4]

Morphology

A primary adjective,^[5] formed with a suffix *-ra-.^[8] Casaretto describes it as an adjective in *-ra- with a-grade, from a root that also underlies Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐍅𐌹 (hiwi, “form, appearance”).^[9]

Evidence

The word is found only in North and West Germanic: Old Norse hárr, Old English hār, Old Saxon hēr and Old High German hēr in Kroonen's list, with Old Frisian hēr added by Orel; neither lists a Gothic form.^[3][2] A runic trace is uncertain: Looijenga suggests that the name Proto-Norse ᚺᚨᚱᛁᛊᛟ (hariso) on the Himlingøje II brooch may contain this adjective with a name suffix,^[10] while Antonsen, who dates the clasp to 300–400 AD, derives the name from *har-ja- instead.^[11] LÄGLOS considers a Germanic origin of the fish name Finnish haarkala uncertain; a link with this adjective would mean a borrowing after 500 AD, with an original sense "grey fish".^[12]

Competing analyses

Orel calls the word identical with Proto-Slavic *sěrъ (“grey”) and compares Middle Irish cíar "dark" from *k̂eiro-.^[2] Kroonen, by contrast, thinks the Slavic word looks like a loan from Germanic, which need not imply a PIE *kHoiro-; that leaves Old Irish cíar (“dark, murky, black”), from *kei-ro-, as the only possible cognate.^[3] Wiktionary calls the Slavic word probably cognate.^[1] EWA also connects Old English hīw (“form, appearance, colour”) and Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐍅𐌹 (hiwi), from *χiu̯i̯a-, and rejects a starting point *χai̯za- "grey" linked with Old High German haso (“hare”), because of the cognates outside Germanic.^[6]

Meanings

1. grey-haired, hoary^[3][5][6]
2. grey; aged, old^[4][1]
3. lofty, distinguished^[4][1]

Old English kept the sense "hoary, grey, old", while in the continental West Germanic languages the word came to mean "noble, distinguished, aged" in Old Saxon and "old, reverend, grand" in Old High German.^[3] Old Frisian has "high, sublime".^[2]

Derivatives

• The comparative, Old High German hēr(i)ro, Old Saxon hērro, Old English hearra, Old Norse herra and Old Frisian hēra "sir", which Kroonen calls a calque of Latin senior.^[3]
• Perhaps Faroese hæra (“grizzled or grey hair”), from *hairjōn-;^[3] Köbler sets up *hairjōn "grey hair, age" for Old Norse^[13] and *hairīn "age, grey hair" for Old Saxon and Old High German.^[14]
• Köbler's *hairadōma- "dignity",^[15] *hairalīka- "noble",^[16] *hairaskapi- "dignity, rank, rule"^[17] and *hairisōn "to have power".^[18]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: hárr (“grey”)^[19]
• Old English: hār (“grey, old”)^[20]
• Old Frisian: hār (“high, sublime”)^[21]
• Old Saxon: hēr (“lofty, high, noble”)^[22]
• Old High German: hēr (“old, grey, sublime, mighty, holy”)^[6]
• Gothic has no form of the word.^[3][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hairaz
2. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xairaz
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. 201
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *haira-
5. ^ a b c Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. haira-
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. hêr, hêri
7. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 107
8. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. hiwi
10. ^ Looijenga, Tineke (2003), Texts and Contexts of the Oldest Runic Inscriptions, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 162
11. ^ Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975), A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions, Sprachstrukturen A 3, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. Himlingøje clasp 1
12. ^ 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. 61
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hairjō-
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hairī-
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hairadōma-
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hairalīka-
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hairaskapi-
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hairisōn
19. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. hárr
20. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hār
21. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hâr
22. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hêr