*þrīʀ

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *þrīʀ for Proto-West Germanic, writing the final consonant ʀ.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þrīz (“three”),^[2][3] which Köbler cites as *þri-, *þreiz, *þrijiz.^[4] Fulk derives the Proto-Germanic masculine nominative *þri(j)iz > *þrīz from the Proto-Indo-European form.^[5] Ringe and Taylor hold that the inflection of "three" was probably inherited from Proto-Germanic without change apart from regular sound changes, and they write the Proto-West Germanic masculine and feminine nominative *þrīz.^[2]

Morphology

A cardinal numeral.^[6][7] Ringe and Taylor's Proto-West Germanic paradigm is masculine and feminine nominative *þrīz, accusative perhaps *þrį̄, genitive *þrijō, dative-instrumental *þrim, and neuter nominative-accusative *þri(j)u.^[2] The i-stem endings of "three" were extended to "four" and on to the numerals up to "nineteen", apparently only where the numeral did not stand before its noun.^[2] The Proto-Northwest Germanic neuter *þriu gives Old English þrīo, Old Frisian thriu, Old Saxon thriu and Old High German driu.^[8]

Evidence

The numeral is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English þrīe, Old Frisian thrē, Old Saxon thrīe, Old Dutch thrī and Old High German drī.^{[9][10][6][11][7]} In Old Dutch, ONW records the dative thrin in Williram's commentary of about 1100.^[12] The usual Old High German masculine nominative is the inherited form, while drīe is late.^[13] Fulk finds the old masculine *þrīz continued in Old High German, while Old English and Old Saxon added adjective endings to *þrī-.^[5] Hogg and Fulk derive late West Saxon þrȳ from *þrīz with the loss of *-z, and explain the early West Saxon variants ⟨þrīe⟩ and ⟨þrī⟩ by the influence of the adjective ending -e.^[14]

Competing analyses

Old Norse and the West Germanic languages all have distinct feminine nominative and accusative forms, made by adding adjective endings to the stem *þrij-, so the change might be a Proto-Northwest Germanic innovation.^[15] Ringe and Taylor take it for parallel, independent and late developments, because the usual Old High German feminine drīo seems to add the productive ending -o to the inherited drī.^[15][2] Fulk calls the West Germanic feminine forms an analogical development comparable to the Old Norse one.^[5]

Meanings

1. three^[2][1]

Derivatives

• *þrīʀ tigiwi "thirty", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[16] Old English þrītiġ, Old Saxon thrītig and Old High German drīzug attest it.^[17][18][19]

Reflexes

• Old English: þrīe (“three”)^[9]
• Old Frisian: thrē (“three”)^[10]
• Old Saxon: thrīe (“three”)^[6]
• Old Dutch: thrī (“three”)^[12]
• Old High German: drī (“three”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þrīʀ
2. ^ a b c d e f Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 121
3. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 546
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þri-
5. ^ a b c Fulk, R. D. (2018), A Comparative Grammar of the Early Germanic Languages, Studies in Germanic Linguistics 3, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thrīe
7. ^ 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. drî
8. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 175
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þríe
10. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. thrē
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thrī
12. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. thrī
13. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 515
14. ^ Hogg, Richard M.; Fulk, R. D. (2011), A Grammar of Old English, vol. 2: Morphology, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, p. §4.85–4.86
15. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 24
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þrīʀ tigiwi
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þritig
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thrītig
19. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. drīzug