*wīdaz

Reconstruction

The word is *wīdaz in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *wīđaz in Orel,^[3] the stem *wīda- in Kroonen and Köbler, Köbler also giving *weidaz,^[4][5] and *wī-da- in Bammesberger.^[6] Antonsen writes the runic form *wid-a-z.^[7]

Etymology

Kroonen and Wiktionary have it from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put”): in Kroonen's analysis, after Lubotsky, a full-grade adjective to a verbal formation *h₁ui-dʰeh₁- "to set apart", in which *h₁ui- was dissimilated from *dui- "in two" before the following dental.^[4][2] Wiktionary gives the Pre-Germanic form as *h₁weydʰh₁os.^[2]

Morphology

An adjective with a-stem inflection.^[5] Antonsen analyses the runic form as a masculine nominative singular o-stem.^[7]

Evidence

The adjective is found in North and West Germanic: Old Norse víðr, Old English wīd, Old Frisian wīd, Old Saxon wīd and Old High German wīt.^[3][4] There is no Gothic word in the Bible: Orel cites a Burgundian *wids, and Köbler a Gothic *wīds inferred from the personal name Widigoia.^[3][8] The oldest record is runic: Antonsen reads the masculine nominative singular, Proto-Germanic *wid-a-z, on the Ro stone, which he dates to 400 AD.^[7]

Competing analyses

Ringe, citing Heidermanns, derives the adjective instead from PIE *wi-h₁itós "gone apart, gone away", with contraction of the vowels after the laryngeal was lost, and compares the derivative Latin vītō (“to avoid”).^[1] Bammesberger likewise starts from *wi-itó-, a to-participle of PIE Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”) with the preverb *wi- "apart", perhaps meaning "gone apart",^[6] and Antonsen gives a PIE *wi-t-o-s.^[7] Orel thinks the word probably related to *widuz "wood",^[3] and Kroonen sees the same univerbation as in his analysis in *widuwǭ "widow" and perhaps in *widu- "wood".^[4]

Meanings

1. wide^[4][5][2]
2. broad^[2]
3. distant, far away^[4][1]

Old Norse also used the adjective for "large, extensive",^[4] Old Saxon for "distant",^[9] and Old High German for "large, spacious".^[10] The adverb Old Frisian wīde meant "very".^[11]

Derivatives

• *wīdijaną "to widen";^[12] Orel writes *wīđjanan.^[3]
• Orel's adverb *wīđōt "widely" and compound *wīđa-faþmjaz "wide-fathoming".^[3]

Reflexes

• Gothic: none in the Bible; only a Gothic or Burgundian name form^[3][8]
• Old Norse: víðr (“wide, spacious”)^[13]
• Old English: wīd (“wide, broad, extensive”)^[14]
• Old Frisian: wīd (“wide, broad”)^[15]
• Old Saxon: wīd (“wide, broad, extensive, distant”)^[9]
• Old High German: wīt (“wide, broad, large, spacious”)^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 96
2. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wīdaz
3. ^ a b c d e f g Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 465
4. ^ 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. 584
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wīda-
6. ^ a b Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 252
7. ^ a b c d Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975), A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions, Sprachstrukturen A 3, Tübingen: Niemeyer, p. Ro stone
8. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *wīds
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wīd
10. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wīt
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wīde
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wīdijaną
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. vīðr
14. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wīd
15. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. wīd