*raubaz

Reconstruction

The noun is *raubaz in Wiktionary^[1] and *rauba- in Kroonen and Köbler;^[2][3] Orel heads it *rauƀō, beside *rauƀaz in its derivatives.^[4][5]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to peel, to tear, to strip”),^[1] and Kroonen reconstructs *Hroup-ó-, a derivative of the strong verb *reufaną "to tear".^[2] Bammesberger also derives *raub-a-z from the verb, and its root from IE *rew-, probably extended with -p- as in Latin rumpō.^[6]

Morphology

An a-stem,^[6][7] masculine in Köbler,^[3] masculine or neuter in Kroonen.^[2] EWA reconstructs *rau̯ƀa-, with a derivative *rau̯ƀija- in Old Norse reyfi (“fleece”) and a variant *rau̯fa- without Verner's law in Old Norse rauf (“hole, crack”).^[7]

Evidence

The noun is attested only in West Germanic: Old English rēaf, Old Frisian rāf, Old Saxon nōdrōf (“violent robbery”) and Old High German roub.^[2] Gothic has the verb 𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍉𐌽 (biraubon, “to rob”),^[5] and Holthausen reconstructs a Gothic *rauba "robbery, booty, garment" from the Romance words such as Italian roba, French robe and Old Occitan rauba.^[8] The Scandinavian words for "robbery", such as Danish rov, are loans from Middle Low German.^[7]

Competing analyses

Orel includes Old Norse rauf (“hole, rift”) in the same word and compares, besides Lithuanian raũpti (“to dig”), especially a Sanskrit word for "hole, cave" and Proto-Slavic *rupa (“pit”).^[4] De Vries takes the Norse word as a new formation to Old Norse raufa (“to break a hole”).^[9] Kroonen compares the verb with a Sanskrit verb for "to tear, to plunder" and with Latin rumpō (“to burst, to break open”).^[10]

Meanings

1. robbery, pillage^[3][1]
2. loot, booty, what is stolen^[2][1]
3. garment, robe^[1]

Old English also used the word for "armour",^[11] and Old Frisian for "confiscation" and "pledge".^[12]

Derivatives

• *raubōną "to rob, to plunder",^[13] Orel's *rauƀōjanan.^[5]
• *raubijaną "to break off, to rob", which Kroonen takes as a merger of an intensive to *reufan- and a denominal verb to this noun.^[2]
• *raubārijaz "robber".^[14]

Reflexes

• Gothic: no noun, but Holthausen reconstructs *rauba from the Romance loans^[8]
• Old Norse: rauf (“hole, rift”), in Orel's cognate list^[4]
• Old English: rēaf (“robbery, booty; clothing, armour”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: rāf (“robbery, stolen goods, confiscation”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: nōdrōf (“violent robbery”), in a compound^[2][7]
• Old High German: roub (“robbery, booty”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *raubaz
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. 406
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *rauba-
4. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rauƀō
5. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rauƀōjanan
6. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 52
7. ^ a b c d e 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. roub
8. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Gotisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. *rauba
9. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. rauf
10. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 410
11. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rēaf
12. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rāf
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *raubōną
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *raubārijaz