*harduz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *harduz in Wiktionary and Ringe,^[1][2] *xarđuz in Orel,^[3] *χarđu- in EWA,^[4] and the stem *hardu- in Kroonen, Köbler and Heidermanns.^[5][6][7] LÄGLOS writes *xardu-z, with Proto-Norse *harduR.^[8]

Etymology

Kroonen, after Strunk and Heidermanns, takes it as a u-stem *kort-u- belonging with Lithuanian kartùs (“bitter”) and the Slavic word for "short", a word family of Lithuanian kiřsti (“to chop”);^[5] Wiktionary puts this derivation as from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”).^[1] Ringe starts from a post-PIE *kartús "sharp" or the like.^[2]

Morphology

A u-stem adjective.^[9][10] Ringe counts the u-stem adjectives among the inherited basic words of the PIE Caland system.^[9] With the accent on the suffix, Verner's law gave *harþús > *harduz;^[2] the comparative was *hardizō-, the superlative *hardistaz.^[11] Bammesberger illustrates the u-stem adjective with the Gothic paradigm, nominative Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌿𐍃 (hardus), accusative masculine 𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌰 (hardjana).^[12]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌿𐍃 (hardus), Old Norse harðr, and Old English heard, Old Frisian herd, Old Saxon hard and Old High German hart in West Germanic.^[5] The Gothic adjective is in Wulfila's Bible, and its comparative in the Skeireins.^[10] Finnish harras (“diligent, devout; hard, strict”) has been taken as a Germanic loan since Thomsen in 1869; since Finnish has no adjectives ending in -us, the ending could not be rendered exactly, and Karsten also allowed a later loan from Old Swedish.^[8] EWA takes it from North Germanic.^[4] In Old High German the sense "strong, brave, bold" appears only in personal names.^[13]

Competing analyses

The traditional comparison is with Ancient Greek κρατύς (kratús, “strong”) and Ancient Greek κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”), from PIE *kort-ús to *kret- "strong, powerful".^[1][14][15] Kroonen objects that this leaves the o-grade and the Schwebeablaut unexplained, and so prefers the Baltic and Slavic words.^[5] Orel too relates only Lithuanian kartùs and Proto-Slavic *kortъkъ (“short”).^[3]

Meanings

1. hard, severe^[5][1][6]
2. brave, bold^[1][6]

In Old Norse the word also meant "rough, painful" of blows and "bold, brave, invincible" of people,^[7] and Old English used it for "cruel, strong, violent, bold".^[15]

Derivatives

• *hardijaną "to make hard, to harden".^[16]
• *hardį̄ "hardihood, rigidity", an abstract noun;^[17] not the same word as Kroonen's *hardī- "shoulder", which has no further etymology.^[5]
• *harduhertaz "hardhearted"^[18] and *hardulīkaz "severe, tenacious".^[19]
• *harskaz "rough, harsh", dissimilated from *hardskaz.^[20]
• Names such as *Bernuharduz and *Raginaharduz.^[21][22]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌿𐍃 (hardus, “hard, severe”)^[14][10]
• Old Norse: harðr (“hard, strong”)^[23]
• Old English: heard (“hard, severe, cruel, strong, bold”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: herd (“hard; as an adverb, very”)^[24]
• Old Saxon: hard (“hard, heavy, sharp, bold”)^[25]
• Old High German: hart (“hard, firm, severe”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *harduz
2. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 123
3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xarđuz
4. ^ a b c 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. hart
5. ^ 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. 211
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hardu-
7. ^ a b Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. hardu-
8. ^ a b 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. s.v. harras
9. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 315
10. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hardus
11. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 316
12. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 221
13. ^ 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. einherti
14. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. hardus
15. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. heard
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hardijaną
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hardį̄
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *harduhertaz
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hardulīkaz
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *harskaz
21. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *Bernuharduz
22. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *Raginaharduz
23. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. harðr
24. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. herd
25. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hard